GAZA CITY — Israel’s war cabinet has approved a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize Gaza City as part of a broader campaign to take over the entire Gaza Strip. The decision came after more than ten hours of closed-door talks.
The plan starts with the occupation of Gaza City and the forced evacuation of its one million residents to the south. Israeli forces will then encircle the city, starve its people, and launch targeted raids on residential areas. Later stages include the takeover of central refugee camps.
What Is Netanyahu’s Endgame?
Netanyahu told Yedioth Ahronoth that the current operations had failed to bring back Israeli soldier prisoners. “We want to defeat Hamas, not preserve it,” he said. In an earlier interview with Fox News, he claimed Israel does not plan to govern Gaza long-term and suggested Arab forces could take control if they “do not threaten” Israel.
Israeli media reports say the decision passed despite warnings from Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and senior generals. They argued that long-term control of Gaza would drain resources and increase soldier casualties. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed parts of the plan, including continued humanitarian aid deliveries.
Siege and Forced Displacement
An Israeli official told Axios that the army will trap whom he referred to as “remaining Hamas fighters” in Gaza City, cut off food and water, and expel civilians to camps in central Gaza by October 7. The Jerusalem Post reported that the initial focus will be Gaza City before expanding to other areas.
According to Haaretz, there is no immediate plan to occupy the central refugee camps, yet Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi told Israeli radio that the ultimate goal is to control the entire Strip.
Has This Strategy Been Used Before?
Analysts say the strategy mirrors the Israeli Generals Plan, an ethnic cleansing plan tested in northern Gaza in late 2024. The plan involved surrounding an area, cutting food and water, bombing relentlessly, then invading and forcing mass displacement. Almost everything left standing was later bulldozed.
Political analyst Said Ziad said that “If we replace ‘control’ with ‘destroy what’s left,’ that’s the real meaning of Netanyahu’s plan.” He said Israel’s aim has shifted from defeating Hamas militarily to making Gaza uninhabitable.
How Are Palestinians and the International Community Responding?
Gaza government spokesman Ismail al-Thawabta called the move “not a military action, but collective punishment prohibited under international law.” He warned of mass hunger, disease, and further collapse of healthcare.
The UN says 87% of Gaza is already under Israeli control or evacuation orders. Human rights groups warn any new military expansion will bring “catastrophic consequences.”
Is a Major Ground Invasion Imminent?
NBC News, citing US officials, reported that satellite images show Israel massing troops for a large-scale ground invasion. The army has already seized most of Rafah in the south and parts of northern Gaza.
US political scientist John Mearsheimer says Israel’s campaign aligns with a long-standing goal of creating “Greater Israel”, a vision dating back to David Ben-Gurion that includes Gaza, the West Bank, parts of Jordan, southern Syria, southern Lebanon, and the Sinai Peninsula. “They don’t want a tiny Israel,” Mearsheimer said.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians and injured over 152,000, with thousands missing. Mass displacement, starvation, and destruction continue despite international court orders to stop.
C. QNN
