Israel will give Palestinians in Gaza until October 7 to evacuate before it launches a full military occupation.
Set for the two-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre which triggered the most recent war, the expansion has drawn fresh condemnation each at home and abroad.
In Israel, families of hostages held by militants in Gaza and opposition leaders blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a call that they said would put captives’ lives in danger.
The Hostage Relatives Forum, an organisation representing the vast majority of hostage families, called the expansion of the war in Gaza a ‘death sentence’ for those still held within the enclave.
A spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres says Israel’s plan for Gaza City marks a ‘dangerous escalation’ within the enclave.
‘Palestinians in Gaza proceed to endure a humanitarian catastrophe of horrific proportions,’ the statement reads.
‘The Secretary-General warns that this further escalation will lead to additional forced displacement, killings and big destruction, compounding the unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza.’
The Security Council will meet in a rare weekend session tomorrow to debate the plan, three diplomatic sources have told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
Far-right allies in Netanyahu’s coalition have been pushing for a complete takeover of Gaza as a part of his vow to eradicate Hamas militants.
Nevertheless, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is reported to have expressed concern over the move, saying it could endanger the lives of remaining hostages.
Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, criticised the Security Cabinet’s backing of the takeover of Gaza City.
He said the move was ‘a disaster that can result in many more disasters’ and was made in ‘complete contradiction to the opinion of the military and security ranks’.
‘This is precisely what Hamas wanted: for Israel to be mired on the bottom with no purpose, without defining the day after picture, in a pointless occupation that nobody understands where it’s leading,’ he said on X.
Israel’s air and ground war has killed tens of hundreds of individuals in Gaza, displaced many of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine.
There are 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom Israeli officials imagine 20 are alive. Most of those freed thus far emerged consequently of diplomatic negotiations.
Talks toward a ceasefire that would have seen more hostages released collapsed in July.
Follow Metro on WhatsApp to be the primary to get all the most recent news
Metro’s on Whatsapp! Join our community for breaking news and juicy stories.
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar are preparing a brand new framework that can include the discharge of all hostages — dead and alive — in a single go, in return for an end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip, two Arab officials told The Associated Press.
Before Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the plan to take over Gaza City, Netanyahu told Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer in an interview that aired on Thursday that the military intended to take control of all of Gaza.
He said Israel didn’t need to keep the Gaza Strip, but to ascertain a ‘security perimeter’ and at hand over the territory to Arab forces.
It’s unclear what number of persons are still in Gaza City, the territory’s largest before the war.
A whole lot of hundreds fled under evacuation orders within the opening weeks of the conflict, but many returned during a ceasefire at first of this 12 months.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Corbyn vs Starmer, modern manners, and a crumbling NHS
MORE: What does recognising Palestine as a state really mean?
MORE: ‘Greater than 48 Palestinians killed’ while waiting for flour delivery in Gaza Strip