Israeli government's highest body, the security cabinet, endorses Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposal to seize control over Gaza City, in the face of growing concern both domestically and internationally
The Israeli security cabinet has approved a contentious plan to occupy Gaza City, marking the first phase of a broader offensive potentially extending to the entire Gaza Strip [1]. This decision, which has sparked mass protests across Israel, aims to defeat Hamas, disarm them, return hostages, demilitarize Gaza, and establish Israeli security control even after the conflict, while establishing an alternative civilian government that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority [1].
However, this plan faces strong opposition within Israel's military leadership. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, has expressed concerns over the increased danger to remaining hostages and the complex challenges of expanded military control [2]. The operation is expected to forcibly evacuate around 1 million Palestinians in Gaza City and surrounding areas over a two-month period, compressing the civilian population into a shrinking territory and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis [1][2].
International actors have raised humanitarian and legal concerns. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for the plan to be halted immediately, emphasizing that a complete Israeli military takeover of Gaza violates international law and will lead to more displacement, death, and suffering [3]. Amnesty International has condemned the cabinet decision as "utterly outrageous and revolting," highlighting that scaling up the military presence will cause mass atrocities and worsen starvation in Gaza, already described as experiencing genocide conditions [4].
The Israeli government intends to hand Gaza's governance to a non-Hamas, non-Palestinian Authority entity, but the details are undefined [1][2]. In an interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza.
The families of the hostages remaining in Gaza are against the government's plan to expand the war, claiming it will endanger the hostages. Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is still held captive in Gaza, accused Netanyahu of working against the hostages and potentially endangering their lives.
In response to the protests, the IDF will prepare for the takeover of Gaza City while ensuring the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside combat zones. Meanwhile, the families of hostages and human rights organizations continue to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
References:
[1] The Times of Israel. (2023). Israel's security cabinet approves plan to occupy Gaza City. [online] Available at: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-security-cabinet-approves-plan-to-occupy-gaza-city/
[2] Haaretz. (2023). IDF chief opposes full takeover of Gaza, warns of risks to hostages. [online] Available at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-idf-chief-opposes-full-takeover-of-gaza-warns-of-risks-to-hostages-1.11100500
[3] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2023). Urgent call to halt Israeli military takeover of Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=28311&LangID=E
[4] Amnesty International. (2023). Israel's plan to take over Gaza is utterly outrageous and revolting. [online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/04/israels-plan-to-take-over-gaza-is-utterly-outrageous-and-revolting/
- The Israeli plan to occupy Gaza City, aiming to establish Israeli security control and demilitarize Gaza, is a contentious subject living in the broader context of politics, including general news and war-and-conflicts.
- Amnesty International has strongly criticized the Israeli government's decision, stating that scaling up military presence in Gaza, as per their plan, will worsen starvation conditions and potentially violate human rights, a focus of both politics and humanitarian concerns.
