Israel’s political-security cabinet authorised plans for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to assume full military control of Gaza City, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the decision in an early Friday statement, emphasising that operations would include “providing humanitarian aid to civilians outside combat zones.”
The move follows Netanyahu’s Thursday declaration to Fox News that Israel intends to secure the entire Gaza Strip, though the current mandate specifically targets the enclave’s northern city.
According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid citing Israeli officials, the strategy involves mass civilian evacuations preceding a ground offensive. Netanyahu clarified Israel’s ultimate objective:
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body,” he said.
The plan reportedly faced resistance during tense security discussions, with military chief Eyal Zamir expressing reservations about campaign expansion.
Government sources indicate a phased takeover of unsecured Gaza territories is under consideration, potentially involving weeks-long evacuation warnings before military deployment. The cabinet statement noted “the vast majority” rejected alternative proposals, believing they would fail to achieve Hamas’s defeat or hostage returns. Any resolution requires full cabinet endorsement, unlikely before Sunday.
The prospective full territorial control would reverse Israel’s 2005 disengagement, which maintained border oversight while withdrawing settlers and soldiers. Nationally oriented factions blame this withdrawal for Hamas’s 2006 electoral victory.
Meanwhile, Jordanian officials stressed that Arab support hinges exclusively on Palestinian consent, insisting security be managed through “legitimate Palestinian institutions.” This aligns with earlier Egyptian proposals for technocratic Gaza administration, rejected by Israel and the US, amid deadlocked ceasefire talks since July.
The UN termed potential operations “deeply alarming,” citing catastrophic humanitarian conditions. Recent footage of emaciated hostages and starving Gazan children intensified global criticism. With Hamas controlling fragmented territories, the group maintains any deal requires permanent war cessation, a condition Israel dismisses as insincere.
A senior Palestinian official noted Hamas would resume negotiations if humanitarian aid increases, whereas Israel accuses the group of diverting supplies.
According to Israeli intelligence, only 20 of the 50 remaining hostages are alive.