Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City
On Friday morning, it was announced that Israel's security cabinet had approved prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to take over Gaza City. This decision marks a further escalation in the conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The security cabinet approved the plan after a meeting lasting over 10 hours. Prior to the meeting, the Israeli prime minister had stated that Israel intended to regain control of the entire Gaza Strip. The territory would eventually be handed over to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas.
Israeli opposition
However, the announced deal is limited to the occupation of Gaza City. This may be due to opposition within the Israeli government. According to the Times of Israel, army chief of staff Eyal Zamir is opposed to the total occupation of the Gaza Strip. The foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, is said to want to seek a truce with Hamas in order to secure the release of the hostages, among other things.
The families of hostages still being held by Hamas also oppose Netanyahu's plans. They fear that a major ground operation would prevent the release of their loved ones. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described the decision as "a disaster that will lead to many more disasters", adding that it is "exactly what Hamas wanted".
Netanyahu's plan marks another escalation in the devastating conflict, which has already resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and brought the territory to the brink of famine. It is unclear how many Palestinians remain in Gaza City, given that hundreds of thousands fled the city at the start of the war.
PHOTO © Menahem KAHANA / AFP
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