The Israel's security office approves the occupation of Gaza. The opposition qualifies the decision as “a disaster”

The Israel's political and security office approved a plan for taking control over the city of Gaza on Friday morning, in the context in which the country extends its military operations, despite the increasingly intense critics in the country and abroad about the devastating war that lasts almost two years, reports Reuters.

“IDF will prepare to take control of the city of Gaza, while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the battle areas,” said the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement, referring to the Israeli defense forces.

While Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel intends to take over military control over the entire Gaza strip, the plan approved on Friday focuses on the city of Gaza, the largest city in the enclave, located in the north.

According to an Israeli official, quoted by Axios, the plan provides for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians in the city of Gaza and the launch of a terrestrial offensive in this area.

Netanyahu: “We want to have a security perimeter”

Asked if Israel will take control over the entire coastal territory, Netanyahu said on a Bill Hemmer's interview with Fox News Channel on Thursday: “We intend to do it.”

He said, however, that Israel wants to teach the territory of the Arab forces that will govern him. He did not give details about the modalities of governance or about the Arab countries that could be involved.

“We do not want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We do not want to govern it. We do not want to be there as a governing body,” said Netanyahu.

“A disaster”, denounces the opposition

The leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, criticized the decision of the security office on the city of Gaza, qualifying it as “a disaster” and stating that the far-right ministers ITAMAR Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich dragged the Israeli prime minister in a situation that was “exactly what Hamas wanted.

Lapid also said that the decision will lead to the death of several hostages and many soldiers, as well as the “political collapse”.

Israeli officials described a previous meeting this week with the head of the army as tense, saying that Eyal Zamir rejected the expansion of the Israel's campaign.

Among the scenarios considered before the security meeting were the gradual taking over of the areas of Gaza that is not yet under military control, a government source said, as anonymity.

“The alternative plan presented in the cabinet will not lead to the defeat of Hamas”

Evacuation warnings could be issued to Palestinians in certain areas of Gaza, offering them potentially a few weeks before military intervention, the source added.

In the statement on Friday, Netanyahu's office stated that most of the members of the political-security office believe that “the alternative plan presented in the cabinet will not lead to the defeat of Hamas or to return the hostages.”

Two government sources said that any resolution of the security office will have to be approved by the entire cabinet, which may not be reunited until Sunday.

Hamas: “flagrant coup”

The total control over the territory would annul a 2005 decision of Israel, by which it withdrew the citizens and Israeli soldiers from Gaza, but retaining control over borders, airspace and utilities.

The right -wing parties blame this withdrawal decision because the Palestinian militant group Hamas has come to power following the 2006 elections.

It was not clear whether Netanyahu provided for a prolonged takeover of power or a short -term operation. Israel has repeatedly stated that he intends to abolish Hamas and release the Israeli hostages.

Hamas qualified in a statement Netanyahu's comments as “a blatant blow” against the negotiation process.

“Netanyahu's plans to expand the aggression confirms without a doubt that he is trying to escape his prisoners and sacrifice,” the statement said.

The Arab countries “will support only what the Palestinians will agree and decide,” an official Jordanian source told Reuters, adding that Security in Gaza should be provided by “legitimate Palestinian institutions.”

What the UN says

Osama Hamdan, officially Hamas, told Al Jazeera that the group will treat any force formed to govern Gaza as a “occupation” force with links with Israel.

Earlier this year, Israel and the United States rejected an Egyptian proposal, supported by Arab leaders, which provided for the creation of an administrative committee made up of independent Palestinian and professional technocrats, charged with the governance of the gas after the war.

Opinion polls show that most of the Israelis want the war to end with an agreement that provides for the issuance of the remaining hostages.

The White House did not make a comment until the time of transmitting this news. US President Donald Trump has refused to say whether he supports or opposes a possible Gazei military takeover by Israel.

The Netanyahu government insisted on the total victory over Hamas, which triggered the war when he organized a deadly attack on Israel in Gaza in October 2023.

The UN has qualified as “extremely alarming”, if true, the information on a possible extension of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The idea, promoted in particular by the far -right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition, for Israeli forces to advance in areas that they do not yet control in the enclave, has also generated concern in Israel.

How many Israeli hostages are there in Gaza

In Gaza there are another 50 hostages, of which Israeli officials believe that 20 are alive. Most of those released so far have been released from diplomatic negotiations. Discussions for an armistice that could have led to several hostages failed in July.

A high Palestinian official said that Hamas informed the Arab mediators that an increase in humanitarian aid that enters Gaza would lead to the resumption of armistice negotiations.

Israeli officials accuse Hamas of confiscating help to distribute his fighters and to sell for the purpose of financing his operations, accusations that the militant group denies.

The video images broadcast last week with two hostages in life showed them very weak, stirring international criticisms.

Recent images with hungry children in Gaza also shocked the world and fueled international criticisms of Israel on the drastic worsening.

Hamas, who ruled Gaza for almost two decades, but now controls only certain parts of the enclave, insists that any agreement must lead to the definitive termination of the war. Israel states that the group does not intend to respect its promises to give up power after the agreement is concluded.