Immediate halting of Israel's proposed Gaza conquest urged by United Nations Human Rights Chief
In early August 2025, Israel's political-security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a plan to occupy Gaza City as the first phase of an offensive aiming to control the entire Gaza Strip. The plan, which includes displacing around 1 million Palestinians, disarming Hamas, and maintaining full Israeli security control after the conflict, while establishing an alternative civilian government in Gaza, has been met with intensifying criticism at home and abroad.
The plan, which has been ongoing for almost two years, contrasts sharply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings and international law perspectives. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that a full military takeover of Gaza would violate international law and that Israel must end its occupation and pursue a two-State solution that upholds Palestinian self-determination rights.
The UN and ICJ call for ending the occupation and promoting peaceful solutions, rejecting forced displacement, occupation, and further escalation, which would lead to massive humanitarian suffering and atrocities. The international response, represented by UN offices and human rights officials, urges Israel to halt the occupation plan immediately, allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza, and facilitate the unconditional release of Palestinian hostages and detainees.
The focus shifts from intensifying the war to prioritizing humanitarian aid in Gaza. The international community emphasizes the need for an immediate end to hostilities and peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. Some analysts and commentators criticize Netanyahu’s plan as prolonging conflict and worsening conditions in Gaza beyond previous offensives.
Former Israeli ambassador and French historian have urged French President Macron to sanction Israel in response to the plan. The UN official, Nikolay Mladenov, has warned that this further escalation by Israel will result in more forced displacement, killing, suffering, destruction, and atrocity crimes.
In summary, Israel’s plan to control Gaza City and eventually the whole Gaza Strip is officially aimed at eliminating Hamas threats and securing territory but is widely condemned by international legal authorities and human rights bodies as a violation of international law and a cause of severe humanitarian crisis. The international community calls for cessation of occupation plans, humanitarian access, and negotiations toward a political solution based on the two-State principle.
- The international community, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, strongly denounce Israel's Gaza occupation plan, asserting that it violates international law and human rights.
- The United Nations and the International Court of Justice advocate for an immediate end to Israel's occupation of Gaza, emphasizing the necessity of peaceful solutions, halting forced displacement, and ending hostilities.
- Critics argue that Israel's plan for Gaza, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prolongs conflict, alleviates neither humanitarian issues nor political tensions, and may result in war crimes.
