The Israeli security cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal for the Israeli army to take over Gaza City, home to around 800,000 Palestinians. The decision has triggered outrage both inside Israel and abroad.
Hostage families, whose relatives remain in Gaza, staged an angry protest in Tel Aviv ahead of the vote. When the decision was announced, they accused the government of sentencing their loved ones to death. Polls consistently show that most Israelis support halting the war and negotiating for the hostages’ release — even if it means Hamas remains in power in Gaza.
Criticism from Opposition and Military
Opposition leaders slammed the move as a disaster, accusing Netanyahu of sacrificing Israeli security for political survival. They say he is bowing to extreme right-wing coalition partners who want a full reoccupation of Gaza — 20 years after Israel’s withdrawal from the strip.
Even military leadership has voiced concern. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that pushing further into Gaza would endanger hostages. The army has avoided operations in suspected hostage locations because Hamas has threatened to kill captives if troops approach — a threat it carried out last year when six hostages were executed.
Zamir also cautioned that, after 22 months of fighting, Israeli forces are exhausted, and further escalation could cause “erosion” of the army.
International Pressure for Ceasefire
Before this latest escalation, 25 Western nations had already urged an immediate ceasefire, condemning “inhumane” civilian killings and severely limited aid deliveries to Gaza.
Why Netanyahu is Escalating Now
The decision followed the collapse of peace talks in Doha, where U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of refusing to agree to a ceasefire. Netanyahu claims Western calls for restraint emboldened Hamas to harden its demands.
Donald Trump then publicly told Israel to “finish the job” and remove Hamas — giving Netanyahu what he likely saw as a U.S. green light to continue.
Netanyahu’s dependence on two small far-right parties is greater than ever after a Haredi party left his coalition over the military draft issue. Ironically, the Haredis’ refusal to serve in the army fuels manpower shortages and resentment among secular Israelis whose children serve in Gaza.
Strategic Questions
Critics question why the military focus is on Gaza City instead of central Gaza’s refugee camps — Deir al-Balah, al-Nuseirat, and Khan Younis — where Hamas is reportedly strongest.
As Henry Kissinger once noted:
“A conventional army loses if it does not win; a guerrilla army wins if it does not lose.”
Hamas, as a guerrilla movement, will claim victory if even a single fighter survives.
No Clear Political Plan
Netanyahu vaguely suggests “Arab forces” could take control of Gaza after Israel’s military, but rejects any role for the Palestinian Authority — a stance that makes Arab states unlikely to step in.
While critics of Israel’s war policy often ignore the challenge of removing Hamas, Netanyahu’s government is equally at fault for continuing the war without a vision for Gaza’s future or a plan to improve life for its people.
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