Israel's security cabinet approves takeover of Gaza City
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to launch an operation to overtake Gaza City despite objections by the Israeli military and warnings by families of hostages such a move would get their loved ones killed.
Israel’s security cabinet approved early Friday local time a military plan to seize Gaza City, marking an escalation in the months-long offensive but stopping short of a broader takeover of the entire Gaza Strip.
According to a statement on X from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the cabinet — following a meeting that began Thursday evening and stretched through the night — endorsed his proposal “for the defeat of Hamas” by authorizing the Israeli military to “prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”
The cabinet also adopted five guiding principles for ending the war, including the disarmament of Hamas, the return of all hostages — both living and deceased — and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. It also called for continued Israeli security control over the enclave and the establishment of an alternative civilian administration “that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.”
Earlier on Thursday, Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News that Israel intends to take full control of Gaza in order to eliminate Hamas and establish a security perimeter. However, he said Israel does not plan to retain long-term control, instead proposing to eventually transfer governance of the territory to “Arab forces that will govern it properly.”
The final cabinet decision appears to reflect internal reservations about a broader operation. Axios’ Barak Ravid reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that the IDF is currently preparing a limited offensive focused on Gaza City, aiming to evacuate civilians from the area by Oct. 7 and impose a siege on remaining Hamas militants. The scaled-back scope may also reflect concerns raised by Israel’s top general, who reportedly warned that a full takeover could endanger the roughly 20 hostages still believed to be alive and further strain the military after nearly two years of regional conflict.
Hostage families have continued to protest, arguing that a full-scale assault on Gaza City could doom any remaining captives. Netanyahu and his political allies, however, have maintained that defeating Hamas is essential and have dismissed suggestions that the group is serious about a ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would not block potential Israeli plans to take over Gaza. Asked by reporters, he said, “As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say. That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel,” adding that his focus was on getting “people fed” in Gaza.
The Israeli military currently controls close to 75% of the Gaza Strip, primarily in the north and south.
