Rabat – Reactions from around the world are pouring in after Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take total military “control” of Gaza City and lay siege to Hamas fighters.
In a statement early Friday, Netanyahu’s office said Israeli forces will “prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”
The plan also includes five goals: disarming Hamas, returning all captives, demilitarizing Gaza, keeping Israeli security control in the area, and creating a new civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the move, calling it “a disaster that will lead to many more disasters.”
Strong international criticism
China said it was “seriously concerned” and urged Israel to “immediately cease its dangerous actions,” stressing that “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory.”
Hamas also condemned the decision as a “war crime,” accusing Israel of using the term “control” instead of “occupation” to avoid legal responsibility for harming civilians.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the plan “must be immediately halted,” arguing it goes against the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel should end its occupation as soon as possible.
Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the plan and urged the international community and the UN Security Council to act to stop it.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move was “wrong” and would “only bring more bloodshed.” Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong also warned Israel “not to go down this path,” while Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the decision would make it harder to reach a truce and called for a ceasefire instead.
Israel has been imposing a full blockade on Gaza for months, cutting off food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. Many Palestinians are dying from malnutrition and starvation, and others are being killed in air strikes or while trying to get humanitarian aid.
According to Al Jazeera, at least two people were killed on Thursday at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site. Far-right Israeli protesters also blocked trucks carrying aid to Gaza for several hours at the Allenby Bridge, which connects the occupied West Bank and Jordan.
