Israel gives Gazans until Oct 7 to evacuate ahead of full occupation

Telegraph

2 days ago

Israel will tell civilians in Gaza City that they have until Oct 7 to evacuate before it launches a full military occupation.
Under a plan approved by the security cabinet on Thursday night, the IDF will order the population to move to the south of the Strip before commencing its assault in an effort to defeat Hamas fully and return the Israeli hostages.
Although the meeting technically approved only the full occupation of Gaza City in the first instance, it is widely understood the plan will apply to every piece of the enclave not yet under Israeli control.
Set for the two-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre that started the war, the evacuation deadline gives Israel just two months to prepare a humanitarian response for the approximately one million residents of the northern town.
The move has prompted international condemnation, including from Sir Keir Starmer, who said the offensive would 'only bring more bloodshed'.
The UN Security Council is to meet on Saturday to discuss the Israeli plan to take over Gaza City, with Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, describing it as a 'dangerous escalation'.
JD Vance, the US vice-president, said Washington has 'some disagreement' with Mr Netanyahu over the strategy, but that the administration shared Israel's objectives.
Meanwhile, Germany has said it will halt arms sales to Israel until further notice.
Talks to achieve a ceasefire and a deal to release hostages broke down last month, with both sides accusing the other of intransigence.
Since then, Hamas has released videos showing two of the remaining captives in emaciated states.
Benjamin Netanyahu's government says fighting into the areas where hostages are believed to be held – until now considered unthinkable – is the only way to rescue them in time.
However, opponents accuse the prime minister of endangering the hostages by prolonging the war to preserve his coalition with ultra-nationalist parties, who want to see Gaza repopulated by Jewish settlements and the Palestinians removed.
On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu's office said the new offensive was being conducted in order to disarm Hamas, return all the hostages, demilitarise Gaza and ensure Israeli security control of the Strip, and to establish an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
Although only 25 per cent of Gaza is currently unoccupied by Israel, that is where most of the Strip's approximately two million Palestinians live.
Military sources have suggested the operation could extend the war by a further five months at least.
They have also hinted at hope that news of the plans might prompt Hamas back to the negotiating table.
However, Yair Lapid, the main opposition leader, described the proposed operation as 'exactly what Hamas wanted'.
Other political figures have condemned it as a 'disaster' and a 'death sentence' for the hostages.
The official Hostage and Missing Families Forum said the government had formally abandoned their loved ones.
A statement from Number 10 said: 'The Israeli government's decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.'
Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, demanded that Sir Keir impose sanctions on Mr Netanyahu.
However, the Tories criticised Sir Keir's statement and said his plan for a ceasefire and the recognition of Palestine was 'unworkable'.
Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief of staff, is known to be deeply opposed to the operation.
However, he has so far disappointed critics of the invasion, who are hoping that he will resign.
On Friday, Mr Zamir held an assessment with senior officers of Southern Command to discuss 'the current fighting situation and formulation of plans and preparations for the continuation of the fighting in the Gaza Strip', according to the IDF.
Germany, a strong ally of Israel, said it would not approve any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice.
Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor, said it was 'increasingly difficult to understand' how the proposed operation would achieve Israel's legitimate war aims of disarming Hamas and freeing the hostages.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's ultra-nationalist finance minister, appeared unperturbed by the formal commitment to hand over a post-war Gaza to an Arab administration.
In an interview, he said Israel would 'erase' the Palestinian state and correct what he described as the 'sin' of dismantling Jewish settlements in Gaza 20 years ago.
It came as he was pictured next to graffiti which said 'Death to Arabs'.
He later disavowed the slogan.
Hamas warned Israel that seizing control of Gaza City would amount to 'sacrificing' the hostages that were still being held captive by the terror group.
'The decision to occupy Gaza confirms that the criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and his Nazi government do not care about the fate of their captives,' the group said in a statement.
'They understand that expanding the aggression means sacrificing them.'