Israel has firmly rejected mounting international criticism following its security cabinet’s approval of a controversial plan to seize control of Gaza City.
Defence Minister Israel Katz dismissed the backlash from global leaders and threats of sanctions, asserting that such pressure would not deter Israel’s actions. “Our enemies will find us as one strong, united fist that will strike them with great force,” he declared.
The cabinet’s decision to intensify military operations in Gaza has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Canada. Germany responded by suspending military exports to Israel.
The newly endorsed plan outlines five core objectives for ending the conflict: dismantling Hamas, securing the release of all hostages, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, asserting Israeli security control over the territory, and establishing a new civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli media reports indicate that the initial phase of the plan centres on gaining full control of Gaza City and relocating its estimated one million residents to southern areas.
Israeli forces are also expected to target refugee camps in central Gaza and locations believed to be holding hostages. A second wave of military operations is anticipated weeks later, coinciding with an increase in humanitarian aid.
The escalation has provoked internal dissent within Israel, including criticism from military officials and families of hostages still held in Gaza. Hamas condemned the plan as “a new war crime” and warned that it would “cost [Israel] dearly.”
On Friday, foreign ministers from the UK, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia issued a joint statement opposing the plan, warning that it would worsen the already “catastrophic” conditions in Gaza. “Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law,” they stated.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk cautioned that further escalation would lead to “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
China also voiced its opposition, with a foreign ministry spokesperson telling AFP: “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed disappointment over Germany’s decision to halt arms exports, telling German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that it amounted to “rewarding Hamas terrorism.”
Within Israel, families of the remaining hostages have warned that the lives of the 20 believed to be alive are now in grave danger. The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters described the cabinet’s decision as leading “toward a colossal catastrophe for both the hostages and our soldiers.”
The United States has taken a more reserved stance. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump remarked that the decision to fully occupy Gaza was “pretty much up to Israel.”
Currently, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) control approximately three-quarters of Gaza. Nearly all of the territory’s 2.1 million residents are concentrated in the remaining quarter, which remains outside Israeli control. According to UN estimates, around 87% of Gaza is either militarised or under evacuation orders.
Central Gaza and parts of the Mediterranean coastline remain outside Israeli occupation, including refugee camps now housing many displaced residents whose homes were destroyed during Israeli military operations.
The war has displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s population, many of whom have been forced to relocate multiple times. The humanitarian crisis has reached critical levels, with UN-backed experts warning that much of the territory is on the brink of famine.
Severe restrictions on imports imposed by Israel—intended to weaken Hamas—have contributed to widespread deprivation. July marked the worst month for acute child malnutrition in Gaza, with nearly 12,000 children under five affected, according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The conflict erupted on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive that has since killed at least 61,158 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
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