Israel gave final approval on Tuesday for the construction of a new settlement in the E1 area, a highly contested area of the occupied West Bank.
The High Planning Council approved the construction of 3,753 housing units, 3,401 of which are located in the E1 area of the Maale Adumim settlement. The project will create a continuous line of settlements separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem.
The construction plan for the E1 area, first proposed in the 1990s, has been frozen for a long time due to opposition in Israel and abroad. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered its implementation in 2012 and then returned to the plan ahead of the 2020 elections.
More than 720,000 Israeli settlers currently live among 3.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which were captured during the 1967 war. These settlements are considered illegal under international law, including a July 2024 ruling by the International Court of Justice, which recognised the Israeli occupation as illegal.
The IDF launched an offensive on the city of Gaza
Israel has launched a ground offensive on the city of Gaza, the IDF has announced on Wednesday. According to a spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the armed forces took up positions on the outskirts of the city.
The Israeli Defence Minister approved plans for a new offensive operation the day before, which includes calling up 60,000 reservists to participate in it. Israel has begun the first phase of an offensive operation against Gaza, according to a plan approved by the country’s Defence Ministry.
On August 20, IDF forces began to take up positions on the outskirts of the city. Up to 60,000 reservists are expected to be involved in the offensive, CNBC reported, citing statements by representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Defence and the Israel Defence Forces.
“We have begun preliminary actions and the first stages of the offensive on Gaza City, and IDF forces are already taking up positions on the outskirts of Gaza City,” IDF spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters. According to the IDF spokesman, the military will also intensify strikes on Hamas in Gaza City.
To minimise damage to the civilian population, the army will warn local residents of the need to evacuate, Defrin added. “We are continuing to provide humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip and are even expanding it by opening additional aid distribution points,” he also added.
Defence Minister Israel Katz has approved plans for a new major operation, a ministry spokesman said. The service of 20,000 reservists will be extended, and another 60,000 will be called up to participate in it.
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released on August 20 said that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a shortening of the timeframe for taking control of the last terrorist strongholds and defeating Hamas.” Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Israel in demonstrations over fears that the planned assault on Gaza could endanger the lives of the remaining hostages.
Full control over the city of Gaza
A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office referred to his position as expressed in a statement made by the Israeli leader on August 18. At that time, the Israeli prime minister declared his determination to establish full control over the city of Gaza and noted that Hamas “is under tremendous pressure.” Human rights organisations have condemned Israel’s plan to drive civilians living in Gaza to the south of the enclave.
According to The Times of Israel, the IDF offensive in Gaza City will be carried out in several stages. First, the civilian population of Gaza will be warned of the need to evacuate by October 7, 2025 (the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel). The IDF then plans to surround the city and advance towards the central areas of the city, which have not yet been completely cleared of Hamas infrastructure. The IDF plans to intensify its strikes against Hamas until the group is completely defeated.
Hamas members attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The death toll in Israel then reached 1,200. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war. In addition, Hamas took 251 people hostage.
According to Israeli authorities, 50 hostages are being held in the Gaza Strip, including 49 of those kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Among them are the bodies of at least 28 people whose deaths have been confirmed by the IDF.
