Israel’s Security Cabinet Approves Netanyahu’s Plan to Occupy Gaza City: Report
Israel’s security cabinet has approved a highly contentious proposal from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the military to occupy Gaza City, a move that appears to starkly contradict his recent public statements. The decision, reported by CNN citing the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday, greenlights the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare for a full takeover of the city, even as it pledges to ensure humanitarian aid for civilians outside combat zones.
The approval marks a significant hardening of Israel’s war strategy. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, an “overwhelming majority” of cabinet ministers backed the plan, believing that alternative proposals would fail to achieve the goals of defeating Hamas and securing the return of hostages. While full details of the occupation plan have not yet been revealed, the decision represents a dramatic pivot from the position Netanyahu articulated just a day earlier.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister had insisted that Israel had no intention of annexing or permanently occupying Gaza. “Our plan is not to occupy or annex Gaza. Our goal is to destroy Hamas and get our hostages back, and then hand over Gaza to a transitory government,” Netanyahu had told journalists.
He later reiterated to Fox News that while Israel would maintain a “security perimeter” and “overall security,” it did not want to be a “governing body,” suggesting governance would be passed to an unspecified Arab force. He had repeatedly stated that the war could end “tomorrow” if Hamas surrendered and freed the hostages.
The new directive to occupy Gaza City has raised immediate questions about the long-term vision for the war-torn territory. The shift comes amid mounting international condemnation of the immense humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where an estimated 60,000 people have been killed over the past 22 months. The war began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages.
