This is likely the first phase of a full takeover of Gaza by Israel’s militarypublished at 06:05 British Summer Time
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem
Image source, Getty ImagesThe takeover of Gaza City approved by the Israeli security cabinet is likely to be the first phase of a full takeover of Gaza by the military, as Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu says this is his intention.
His plans have faced strong opposition from the military leadership, with the army’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, warning him of a “trap”.
The families of the hostages say an expansion of the offensive, which is likely to last months, will put the 20 captives believed to be alive at risk. There have also been warnings that a push will kill even more Palestinians and worsen the humanitarian crisis in the territory.
Polls suggest most of the Israeli public favour a deal with Hamas for the release of the hostages and the end of the war. Israeli leaders say Hamas, for now, is not interested in negotiating as, in their view, the group is feeling emboldened by the international pressure on Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
There has been some speculation that the threat of full occupation could be part of a strategy to put pressure on Hamas to make concessions in stalled talks.
Throughout the war, Netanyahu has been accused of prolonging the conflict to guarantee the survival of his coalition, which relies on the support of ultranationalist ministers who have threatened to quit the government if there is any deal with Hamas.
In an interview shortly before the cabinet’s meeting, Netanyahu said that Israel planned to hand over the control of Gaza to “Arab forces”, although he did not give details about possible arrangements or which countries could be involved. Still, this was a rare indication of what he might be envisioning for a post-war Gaza.