Overview

• Israel’s security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to seize Gaza City, formalizing a shift from border operations to full occupation readiness.
• The strategy rests on five pillars: disarming Hamas, returning all hostages, demilitarizing the enclave, maintaining Israeli security control, and installing a civilian authority independent of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
• UN OCHA reports that 86.3% of Gaza’s territory is under Israeli militarization and subject to evacuation orders, raising alarms over a looming generalized famine.
• The United Nations, European governments and other international bodies have called for an immediate halt to the plan, warning that it may violate international law and worsen civilian hardship.
• IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir publicly voiced reservations about operational limits and ethical risks, while Israeli opposition leaders cautioned that the takeover could damage diplomatic ties and endanger hostages and troops.