Israel is attacking Gaza City, escalating its plan to take control of all of Gaza.
Israeli forces have killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Government has approved plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, said these actions are “two sides of the same coin of genocide”.
Gaza City
Last week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to occupy Gaza City in the strip’s north, which he has since ordered to speed up.
UN human rights officials have warned the “systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway”.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has escalated attacks on the city in recent weeks, killing at least 87 people, including 25 children, according to UN data. The IDF says its objectives are to defeat Hamas and secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages. 20 are still believed to be alive.
The IDF has called up 60,000 reservist troops to support the Gaza City occupation.
The UN estimates 86% of the Gaza Strip is already under Israeli militarised control or displacement orders, impacting almost the entire population.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned intensifying attacks “risk worsening an already catastrophic situation”.
West Bank
The West Bank is considered part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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Last year, the International Court of Justice said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are unlawful.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich presented plans to expand Israeli settlements last week.
Speaking to supporters in the West Bank, Smotrich said: “This reality finally buries the idea of the Palestinian State”.
An Israeli Government committee has now approved those plans, which would involve building 3,400 houses in the West Bank.
The settlement will effectively split the West Bank territory in half.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, condemned the move and the Gaza City occupation.
In a statement, the Authority’s Foreign Ministry said the measures are “two sides of the same coin of genocide, displacement, and colonial annexation.”
International reaction
The UN Secretary General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, condemned Israel’s settlement.
“The advancement of this project is an existential threat to the two-state solution,” he said.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called on the Israeli Government to reverse its decision.
“It would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution,“ Lammy said.
