Israel’s security cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City as part of their ongoing treacherous, genocidal campaign.
In a statement early Friday, Netanyahu’s office said the army would move to seize the city while claiming it would provide humanitarian aid to civilians forced outside combat areas.
The plan still requires approval from the full government cabinet, which may not convene before Sunday.
The decision entails another mass forced displacement. Tens of thousands of Palestinians, already living under desolating famine conditions due to Israel’s blockade of aid, face expulsion from what remains of their homes.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the move as “wrong,” saying it would “only bring more bloodshed” and do nothing to end the genocidal war on Gaza or free hostages.
According to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, the plan involves removing all civilians from Gaza City by October 7, pushing them into overcrowded central camps and other areas.
“A siege will be imposed on the Hamas militants who remain in Gaza City, and at the same time, a ground offensive will be carried out in Gaza City,” Ravid wrote on X.
Netanyahu, speaking to Fox News the day before, said Israel intended to “take control of all Gaza” but claimed it did not want to govern the territory, suggesting an unspecified third party would be handed control after the occupation.
For Palestinians, the plan threatens further massacres and devastation. Hundreds of thousands fled Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war, but many returned during a brief ceasefire earlier this year.
Almost 200 people have already died from starvation or malnutrition since October 2023, and aid groups warn a new assault will deepen the man-made famine.
The apocalyptic crisis has plunged deeper into catastrophe since March 2, when Israel choked off food and aid at the border crossings, weaponizing starvation as a tool in its genocidal war.
The exact number of civilians still in Gaza City remains unknown, as Israel’s genocide has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
This human catastrophe has pushed countries such as France, Canada, and the UK to weigh recognition of Palestinian statehood, but whether such steps can meaningfully address the ongoing atrocities remains in question.
