Israel is poised to occupy Gaza City after the nation's security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan for a phased military takeover of the area.
"The IDF will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones," read a statement from Netanyahu's office after the plan was approved.
"The Security Cabinet – by majority vote – adopted the five principles for concluding the war:
The plan, per Netanyahu, is to take control of the entire Gaza region before "eventually handing over its management to Arab armed forces," the Washington Post reports. President Trump has said that the decision on what to do with Gaza is "pretty much up to Israel."
Trump and his team have tried to broker a ceasefire and a peace between the dueling parties, but repeatedly Hamas has declined to agree to any terms. Gaza City will have to be evacuated prior to the occupation, a process which is estimated to take about 2 months.
Gaza City was the biggest city in the enclave, with a pre-war population of about 650,000. There are not many options for the remaining residents in terms of finding a place to go. Protesters came out in Jerusalem overnight to express displeasure with the government's plans.
"The IDF will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones," read a statement from Netanyahu's office after the plan was approved.
"The Security Cabinet – by majority vote – adopted the five principles for concluding the war:
- The disarming of Hamas.
- The return of all the hostages – the living and the deceased.
- The demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
- Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip.
- The establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
"A decisive majority of Security Cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan that had been submitted to the Security Cabinet would neither achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages."
Israel has been engaged in a war against Palestinian terror group Hamas since the group's terror attack on October 7, 2023 when 1,200 people were killed by Palestinians and over 200 were taken hostage, some of whom are still being held in Gaza.The plan, per Netanyahu, is to take control of the entire Gaza region before "eventually handing over its management to Arab armed forces," the Washington Post reports. President Trump has said that the decision on what to do with Gaza is "pretty much up to Israel."
Trump and his team have tried to broker a ceasefire and a peace between the dueling parties, but repeatedly Hamas has declined to agree to any terms. Gaza City will have to be evacuated prior to the occupation, a process which is estimated to take about 2 months.
Gaza City was the biggest city in the enclave, with a pre-war population of about 650,000. There are not many options for the remaining residents in terms of finding a place to go. Protesters came out in Jerusalem overnight to express displeasure with the government's plans.
