Israel gives green light to occupy Gaza City

After ten hours of discussion, the Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to seize Gaza City. A senior official told Channel 12. Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has avoided entering much of the city. The operation will require the evacuation of the area currently home to approximately one million residents of the Strip. "The Political and Security Cabinet approved the Prime Minister's proposal for the defeat of Hamas. The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City, providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones. An absolute majority of cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan presented would lead neither to the defeat of Hamas nor to the return of the hostages." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced this. The statement released at the conclusion of the meeting states that "the Security Cabinet adopted by a large majority the five principles for ending the war: dismantling Hamas's arsenal; return of all hostages, both living and dead; demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; Israeli security control over the Strip; and establishment of an alternative civil administration, which is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority." A senior Israeli official emphasized that "the operation the IDF will prepare concerns Gaza City only: the goal is to evacuate all residents of the city to central refugee camps and other areas by October 7, 2025 (the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre in southern Israel)." A siege will be imposed on the terrorists remaining in the area, and in the meantime, the army will maneuver inside the city," Channel 12 reported, adding that the prime minister and Defense Minister Israel Katz were authorized to approve the IDF's final operational plan. During the meeting, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir expressed opposition to the plan : "There is no humanitarian response for the million people we will move to Gaza. It will all be extremely complex. I propose removing the objective of the hostages' return from the objectives of the war."

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With the world's eyes on him, shortly before his highly anticipated cabinet meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his plan to occupy Gaza . And in two separate interviews, he clarified that "Israel will not annex the Strip or impose military rule."

"We want to take control, free it from Hamas's terror, create a security perimeter to prevent threats to Israel, hand it over to the Arab forces who will govern it, and give the citizens of Gaza a dignified life," he stated, speaking to Fox News and the Indian English-language broadcaster CNN-News18. IDF chief Eyal Zamir, who is still opposed to this, has confessed his concerns to his closest aides: "The conquest of the Strip will drag Israel into a black hole." Hamas's reaction was immediate: "Israel's aggression will have a painful price," and "Netanyahu's words reveal the true motivations behind his withdrawal from the latest round of negotiations, despite us being close to a final agreement. His plans to expand the aggression," Hamas claims, "demonstrate that he aims to free the hostages and sacrifice them for his own personal interests."

The war cabinet meeting in Jerusalem began as scheduled at 6 p.m. Outside, hundreds of protesters chanted: "Accept the agreement, end the war. Military pressure kills hostages." Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, thousands of people took to the streets to protest Bibi.

In stark contrast, as opposition leader Yair Lapid emphasized, with the option—considered "catastrophic"—of conquering the enclave. The discussion—which initial reports from the debate described as "tense and crucial"—had the prime minister on one side, putting the occupation of the entire Strip to a vote, specifying that the operation "would not be irreversible" and could be halted "if Hamas were to accept Israel's conditions." On the other side, Chief of Staff Zamir proposed instead sieging Gaza City and the central camps before moving on to targeted strikes. IDF assessments indicate the most limited option, taking into account the potential risk to the hostages' lives, the fear of a complete entry into Gaza City, mined and considered a "death trap," and the excessive attrition of troops. The disagreements prompted Zamir to make a rare statement Thursday morning: "The culture of dissent is an integral part of the history of the people of Israel. We will continue to express our position without fear."

Meanwhile, details of Netanyahu's plan have leaked to Israeli media. The conquest of the enclave envisages a gradual military operation over four to five months : the IDF will begin with the capture of Gaza City. Its inhabitants, approximately one million people (half of the Strip's residents), will be evacuated. This is considered a first-rate logistical operation that will last weeks, during which temporary civilian infrastructure will be built for the displaced, including temporary field hospitals, tent complexes, and containers. The document also discusses the arrival of large amounts of aid. For its part, the Trump administration announced through US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee that the number of Gaza Foundation distribution centers will increase from four to 16, and they will be open 24 hours a day. Channel 12 revealed that the US president intends to allocate approximately $1 billion to the initiative, funded partly by the United States and partly by other countries. Fox asked Netanyahu to share his thoughts on Donald Trump's views on the famine in Gaza: "The president supports us in many ways; he understands that we must get rid of Hamas, which is using different tactics to impede the flow of humanitarian aid." He then admitted: "There is a food shortage in Gaza, people are suffering." He continued: "The Israeli people are united. We will bring the hostages back with the help of victory in the war. It must end as quickly as possible."

As the security cabinet discusses the occupation of the Gaza Strip, senior officials on the Israeli negotiating team have sent a positive message to the political leadership, saying the window for an agreement on the release of the hostages could reopen soon . "Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey are pressuring Hamas to return to the negotiating table for a conclusion. This could happen next week, an element that must be considered in the decision-making process. Be careful not to close the possibility of a hostage agreement," they said. Channel 12 reports.