Jerusalem, August 9, 2025 — In a major escalation of its nearly two-year war in Gaza, Israel’s political-security cabinet has approved a plan to take full control of Gaza City, despite intensifying international condemnation and growing humanitarian concerns.
The decision, announced early Friday, marks a significant expansion of Israel’s military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas. It follows mounting pressure from far-right members within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, who have consistently called for a complete takeover of the enclave. However, Israel’s military leadership has warned that such an operation could put the lives of the remaining hostages in jeopardy.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said: “The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while continuing to provide humanitarian aid to civilians outside the combat zones.”
While Netanyahu had earlier signalled Israel’s intent to establish military control over the entire Gaza Strip, Friday’s cabinet approval focuses specifically on Gaza City—the densely populated urban centre in the north of the enclave. Citing an Israeli official, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported that the plan includes the evacuation of civilians followed by a ground offensive.
Asked during a Fox News interview whether Israel would occupy all of Gaza, Netanyahu replied: “We intend to,” adding that Israel did not plan to govern the territory long-term. “We want to have a security perimeter… We don’t want to be there as a governing body,” he said, suggesting that an Arab-led administration could take over, though he did not specify which nations might be involved.
Global Response and Mounting Tensions
The announcement was met with swift international backlash. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the decision, urging Israel to reconsider. “This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed,” Starmer stated.
Australia echoed the concerns, calling on Israel “not to go down this path.”
Reports from inside Israeli government circles suggest that this week’s security cabinet meeting was marked by tension, with military chief Eyal Zamir reportedly expressing reservations about the expanded campaign. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have been displaced since the war began.
Public sentiment in Israel remains divided. While many citizens support any action that could bring the hostages home, others fear the new offensive will further endanger them. “I think it’s a death sentence for all the hostages still being held,” said Danny Bukovsky, a hotel owner in Tel Aviv. “It’s the wrong decision at this time.”
According to sources familiar with the meeting, the approved strategy may involve a phased takeover of remaining territories not yet under IDF control. Evacuation warnings could be issued in advance, giving civilians several weeks to flee before a ground incursion begins.
Netanyahu’s office said the cabinet ultimately rejected an alternative plan, believing it would neither ensure Hamas’s defeat nor secure the release of hostages.
Implications for Governance and Regional Stability
A full military occupation would reverse Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza, when it withdrew its forces and evacuated Jewish settlers. That move, widely criticised by Israel’s right-wing, is viewed by some as having facilitated Hamas’s rise to power following the group’s 2006 electoral victory.
It remains unclear whether Netanyahu envisions a temporary military occupation or a more extended presence. Hamas, in a statement, called the Israeli move a “blatant coup” against ongoing mediation efforts.
A Jordanian government source told Reuters that Arab countries would only support an arrangement endorsed by the Palestinian people. “Security in Gaza should be handled through legitimate Palestinian institutions,” the source said.
Israel has ruled out a return to Gaza by the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs parts of the West Bank under a peace accord dating to the 1990s. Meanwhile, Hamas has warned that any external force installed to govern Gaza would be treated as an “occupying entity.”
Earlier this year, Israel and the U.S. dismissed an Egyptian-backed proposal to hand Gaza’s post-war administration to an independent committee of Palestinian technocrats. The White House has yet to comment on the latest developments. U.S. President Donald Trump has not publicly stated whether he supports Israel’s planned military control of Gaza.
Hostages Still in Peril
Fifty hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, with Israeli intelligence estimating that only 20 are still alive. Most of those previously released were freed through diplomatic efforts.
Recent footage of two surviving hostages, appearing severely malnourished, triggered international outrage. Although negotiations for a potential ceasefire and prisoner exchange continued for months, they collapsed in July.
Hamas continues to demand a permanent end to the war as a condition for any deal, a stance Israel refuses to accept, accusing the group of insincerity.
As the conflict deepens, the humanitarian situation in Gaza grows increasingly dire. Images of emaciated children and widespread starvation have fueled urgent calls for restraint, even as Israel prepares for what may become the most extensive military operation in Gaza City since the war began.
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