UN warns of catastrophic consequences as Israel edges toward full Gaza control
He is expected to approve an all-out occupation of the territory, a decision the UN warns would be catastrophic.
Despite expressing intentions to take full control of Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News he doesn't want to 'govern' the territory himself, instead proposing to hand over control to Arab forces.
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Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
- Daily Telegraph
Netanyahu says Israel to control not govern Gaza
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel plans to take full control of Gaza but does not intend to govern it, as he convened his security cabinet to discuss updated plans 22 months into the war. The cabinet meeting comes as Mr Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home and abroad for a truce deal to pull Gaza's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and to spare hostages held by Palestinian militants. With tensions rising, Mr Netanyahu took to the airwaves telling US network Fox News the government intends to seize complete control of the Gaza Strip, where the military has been fighting Hamas since the Palestinian group's October 7, 2023 attack. Asked if Israel will take control of 'all of Gaza', Mr Netanyahu said: 'We intend to.' He was expected to seek the cabinet's approval for an expanded offensive, which could see ground troops operate in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held, Israeli media reported. Get all the latest news happening around the world as it happens — download the app direct to your phone. Mr Netanyahu said Israel plans to take full control of Gaza but does not intend to govern it. Picture: Fox News Mr Netanyahu told Fox News 'we don't want to keep' the Gaza Strip, which Israel occupied in 1967 but withdrew troops and settlers in 2005. 'We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it,' Mr Netanyahu said. 'We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life. That's not possible with Hamas.' The reported plans to expand the war have sparked growing concern in Israel about what it means for the remaining hostages. Mr Netanyahu is expected to seek the cabinet's approval for an expanded offensive. Picture: Fox News As the cabinet meeting kicked off, hundreds rallied near the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, calling for a deal to free the hostages. 'The only way to bring the hostages home is to halt the war and end the suffering of the hostages and all those living through this terrible conflict,' said protester Sharon Kangasa-Cohen. Protesters gathered to demonstrate against Netanyahu's plans to expand occupation in Gaza on August 7, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Picture: Amir Levy/Getty Protesters held up images of hostages as they demonstrated. Picture: Amir Levy/Getty 'More destruction' Hamas in a statement said that 'Netanyahu's plans to escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt his desire to get rid of the captives and sacrifice them in pursuit of his personal interests and extremist ideological agenda'. Earlier Thursday, relatives of hostages set sail from the port of Ashkelon seeking to approach the Gaza Strip where their loved ones have endured 22 months of captivity. Out of 251 hostages captured during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the military says are dead. Ahead of Thursday's meeting, rumours have been rife in the Israeli press about disagreements between the cabinet and Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir, who is said to oppose plans to fully reoccupy Gaza. Israeli soldiers organise military equipment while standing on armoured personnel carriers near the border with the Gaza Strip. Picture; Amir Levy/Getty On Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz had weighed in on social media saying the military must ultimately respect any policies adopted by the government. In a statement released by the military Thursday, Mr Zamir underscored his independence, vowing to 'continue to express our position without fear'. 'We are dealing with matters of life and death … and we do so while looking directly into the eyes of our soldiers and citizens,' Mr Zamir said. In Gaza, meanwhile, fears grew over what an expansion of Israeli operations would entail. 'Ground operations mean more destruction and death,' said Ahmad Salem, 45. 'Unrealistic costs' International concern has been growing over the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, where a UN-backed assessment warned that famine was unfolding. The World Health Organization said at least 99 people have died from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip this year, with the figure likely an underestimate. Displaced Gazan Mahmoud Wafi said that the prices of available food remained high and erratic. 'We hope that food will be made available again in normal quantities and at reasonable prices, because we can no longer afford these extremely high and unrealistic costs,' the 38-year-old told AFP. Palestinians gather at a food distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 19, 2025. Picture: Eyad BABA / AFP In late July, Israel partially eased restrictions on aid entering Gaza, but the United Nations says the amount allowed into the territory remains insufficient. Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network in the Gaza Strip, told AFP that lengthy inspection procedures at entry points meant few trucks could come in. 'What is currently entering the Gaza Strip are very limited numbers of trucks – between 70 to 80 per day – carrying only specific types of goods,' he said. The United Nations estimates that Gaza needs at least 600 trucks of aid per day to meet its residents' basic needs. Amid the shortages, bloodshed continued with Gaza's civil defence agency saying Israeli attacks across the territory on Thursday killed at least 35 people. Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,258 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry. The 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures Originally published as Netanyahu says Israel to control not govern Gaza
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Collateral damage' to hostages is possible with Israel's occupation of Gaza
Retired US Navy rear admiral Mark Montgomery says Israel's plan to occupy all of Gaza could cause 'collateral damage' to hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed Israel's plan for a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip. The plans come after stalled negotiations with Hamas.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Israeli cabinet mulls plan to take over Gaza
Israel's security cabinet has now been meeting for more than seven hours, as it weigh's up the Prime Minister's push for a full military takeover of the Gaza strip. Benjamin Netanyahu wants Israel to occupy the besieged enclave as it did 20 years ago, but not to keep it forever. The UN has warned the move could risk "catastrophic consequences", and hostage families fear it could endanger their loved ones ABC NewsRadio's Sarah Morice spoke with James Jeffrey, a former US Deputy National Security Advisor and US Ambassador to Iraq and Turkiye. He's now a Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and says such a move will be very controversial in Israel.
