STORY
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his Government’s intention to swiftly seize control of more areas within the Gaza Strip, particularly Gaza City and central refugee camps. The goal, he stated, is to install Israeli “security responsibility” and set up a civilian administration without oversight from Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu framed the move as a necessary step to end the war and ensure national security. He stressed the operation would be limited in duration and followed along by aid corridors supplying food, water and medical assistance to civilians displaced by the fighting.
Yet amid his rationale of “freeing Palestine from terrorism,” critics warned this strategy could devastate Gaza further. International leaders, Germany, the UN, and the EU among them, have condemned the plan as a dangerous escalation that risks turning Gaza into a humanitarian disaster zone. The UN Secretary-General flagged potential mass displacement and a rise in civilian casualties, urging immediate reconsideration. Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations are alarmed as Gaza is already facing a deteriorating humanitarian crisis, marked by widespread malnutrition, constrained aid delivery, and rising child fatalities. Critics say even with assurances of aid, the proposed military incursion could worsen suffering rather than alleviate it.
Netanyahu’s proposal comes against the backdrop of intense conflict that began with Hamas’ October 2023 attacks, followed by months of Israeli military operations. While Israel claims to control roughly three-quarters of Gaza, Gaza City remains a stronghold for Hamas, with a population enduring months of bombardment, displacement and poverty.