Netanyahu seems to have found something that could give it more power over Gaza, and we will delve right into it to understand what is really going on. One tiny area of land has been at the epicentre of one of the most intensely felt and profoundly ingrained conflicts in the world for many years. There are conflicts between politics, religion, and history here that are uncommon in other areas. The residents have been raised in a perpetual state of uncertainty, optimism, and dread. A recent event is now rekindling both resolve and fear.
Israel Approves plan to seize Gaza City as Netanyahu vows full control of strip
Israel’s political-security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City early on Friday, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of the entire strip despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating almost two-year-old war. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, referring to the Israeli Defence Forces,
“The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”
Gaza City, in the north of the strip, is the largest city in the enclave. Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing an Israeli official, said on X that the plan involved evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a ground offensive there. Netanyahu on Thursday told Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer in an interview, “we intend to” when asked if Israel would take over the entire coastal territory.
Netanyahu claims that Israel wants security in Gaza rather than governance
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”
He said Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it. He did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved. Netanyahu made the comments to Fox News ahead of a meeting with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza. Wll this do the nation any good though?
Israeli officials described a previous meeting this week with the head of the military as tense, saying military chief Eyal Zamir had pushed back on expanding Israel’s campaign. In its Friday statement, Netanyahu’s office said the vast majority of the political-security cabinet members believed that “the alternative plan presented in the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages.”
What the future holds for Gaza and the global community at large
Today, the future of Gaza is a huge concern for the entire world and its neighbouring countries. The United States, Egypt, and EU members are among the nations keeping a careful eye on Israel’s military plan. While some are calling for moderation, others emphasise the importance of long-term planning and humanitarian assistance before it just turns out to be like Zelensky’s approval dips amid wartime unrest.
Outside the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on Thursday evening, hundreds of demonstrators protested against an expanded war, demanding an immediate end to the military campaign in return for the release of all the hostages. Protesters held signs bearing the faces of hostages still held in Gaza and voiced deep frustration with the government’s handling of the crisis. The Israeli military says it controls about 75% of Gaza. Most of Gaza’s population is about 2 million. War keeps breaking loose, but still, it is not stopping Lufthansa and Air France-KLM’s growth despite trade war fears.
GCN.com/Reuters