**Israel’s Plan to Takeover Gaza City: What We Know**
The Israeli security cabinet has approved a controversial plan to takeover Gaza City, the most populous city in the Gaza Strip. The city is located in the northern part of the enclave and was heavily damaged by Israeli bombing and ground offensives before the war.
**Background on the Plan**
The details of the new plan are still unclear, but we do know what is going on. According to a statement released by the Israeli prime minister’s office, the Israel Defense Forces will “prepare” for the takeover of Gaza City. It also outlined five “principles”, according to which the war could be ended: the disarmament and return of all hostages – both alive and dead – the demilitarisation and control of the Gaza Strip by Israeli security forces, and the establishment of a civilian alternative administration, independent of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
**Reactions from World Leaders**
The plan has been met with fierce opposition from world leaders. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that Israel’s escalation is “wrong” because it will only lead to more bloodshed. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Friday that his government would not approve any exports to Israel of military equipment that could be used by Gaza until further notice.
**Hamas’ Warning**
Hamas has warned of “fierce opposition” to the plan and said that the approval of plans for the occupation of Gaza “constitutes an entirely new war crime”. In a Friday statement, Hamas warned that the criminal occupation would pay a hefty price for this criminal adventure. It will not be a smooth journey.
**Speculation on Israel’s Motives**
There has been some speculation that the threat of full occupation could be part of a strategy to put pressure on Hamas to make concessions in stalled ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel does “not want to keep” Gaza and intends to hand it over to “Arab forces”. However, reports in Israeli media indicate that the military won’t move into Gaza City right away and residents will have to leave first.
**Timeline of Events**
It is not clear what the timeline for the takeover of Gaza City is. Reports suggest that Israel has said it currently controls 75% of Gaza, while the UN estimates some 86% of the territory is either in militarised zones or under evacuation orders. However, there are no more details about a timeline of the post-takeover Gaza government.
**Condemnation from Hostage Families and World Leaders**
The decision has been met with condemnation from hostage families and world leaders. The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters stated the decision would “lead us towards a colossal disaster for both our hostages and soldiers”. Volker Turk, the UN’s chief of human rights, says that “the Gaza war must end now”. He warns further escalation will lead to “more massive forced displacement, killings, unbearable suffering, and atrocity crime”.
**Less Critical US Response**
The US has been less critical. Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it was up to Israel to decide whether to occupy Gaza in its entirety. Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said that America is not concerned about this plan.
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