Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Aug 9: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet has approved a new military plan under which the army will “take control” of Gaza City, triggering strong criticism at home and abroad.

Nearly two years into the Gaza war, Netanyahu is under mounting pressure to secure a truce to avert famine for more than two million people in the territory and to free hostages held by Hamas. The militant group denounced the move as a “new war crime,” warning it would endanger the captives.

The newly approved plan aims to “defeat” Hamas, with the Israeli army preparing to seize Gaza City while distributing humanitarian aid outside combat zones. Netanyahu insisted Israel was “not going to occupy Gaza” but to “free Gaza from Hamas,” calling for the territory’s demilitarisation and a civilian administration “neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.”

The decision drew sharp condemnation from China, Turkey, Britain, Arab governments, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called it a “dangerous escalation.” The UN Security Council is set to discuss the plan on Sunday.

Germany announced it would halt military exports to Israel over concerns the plan could fuel the Gaza conflict — a move Netanyahu criticised as “a reward for Hamas.” Hostage families accused the government of “abandoning” captives, with 49 of the 251 seized during Hamas’s October 2023 attack still in Gaza, including 27 confirmed dead.

Gaza residents expressed fear of renewed displacement and intensified attacks, while the WHO warned famine is unfolding in the territory. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, while the October 2023 attack on Israel left 1,219 dead.

Israeli strikes on Friday reportedly killed at least 16 people, as aid delivery challenges — including injuries from falling airdropped parcels — continued to compound the humanitarian crisis.