Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan for its military to take control of Gaza.
It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Thursday his intention for Israel to occupy Gaza in an interview with Fox News.
Earlier this week, the United Nations (UN) warned that Israel taking control of Gaza “would risk catastrophic consequences”. The World Health Organisation has said the “worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip”.
Here’s the latest.
Israel's plan
On Thursday, in an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu was asked if Israel will “take control of all of Gaza”. He responded: “We intend to.”
Netanyahu said Israel does not “want to keep it”, but wants to “hand it over to Arab forces”.
Since that interview, Israel’s security cabinet has approved the plan for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to “prepare for the takeover of Gaza City”.
In a statement to X, the Prime Minister’s office said there were five “principles” of its take over of Gaza. They are:
“1.The disarming of Hamas.
2. The return of all the hostages –the living and the deceased.
3. The demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip.
4. Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip.
5. The establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.”
Background
Israel has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians since the conflict began in 2023, according to data cited by the UN.
The latest conflict started on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel. According to data cited by the UN, roughly 1,200 people were killed.
Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, captured about 240 hostages. About 50 remain, with an estimated 20 believed to be alive.
Israel responded by declaring war and bombarding Gaza.
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Israel’s war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis. Much of Gaza’s population is experiencing famine.
The UN says Israel “continues to severely restrict humanitarian assistance entering Gaza.”
Israeli forces have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians trying to access food supplies since the end of May.
According to the World Health Organisation, there have been 74 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza this year, 63 of which occurred last month.
UN response
Earlier this week, senior UN official Miroslav Jenča addressed reports of Netanyahu’s plans to take control of Gaza. (These comments were made before Netanyahu’s interview.)
Jenča said: “This would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza.”
“The situation in Gaza is horrifying - it is unbearable,” he added.
Israeli response
According to international media, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza. It’s reported that military leadership pushed for a ceasefire agreement, instead of an increased military operation.
The peak body representing the families of hostages, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, is strongly opposed to Israel taking over Gaza. In a statement, it said “escalating the fighting is a death sentence and immediate disappearance for our loved ones”.
Hamas response
According to international media, Hamas responded to Netanyahu’s comments in a statement, saying they show he is “planning to continue his approach of genocide and displacement by committing more crimes”.
Hamas also said the comments “represent a clear reversal of the course of negotiations and clearly reveal the true motives behind his withdrawal from the final round”.
International response
The U.S. is Israel’s closest ally. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump would not say if he supports the take-over, saying it is “pretty much up to Israel”.
Trump said his focus is on delivering food and supplies to people in Gaza, saying they’re “not doing too well with the food”.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “Australia calls on Israel to not go down this path, which will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.
