Israeli security cabinet approves plan to occupy Gaza City
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office has yet to publicly confirm the plan, which is a major escalation in the war-torn Palestinian territory and was first reported by the news site Axios on Friday.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid quoted the prime minister's office as saying: 'The Political-Security Cabinet approved the Prime Minister's proposal to defeat Hamas. The [Israeli military] will prepare to take over Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones'. —Aug 8, 2025
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The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Israel far right presses Netanyahu for decisive win against Hamas
JERUSALEM: Israel's far right pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go harder against Hamas, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting Sunday on the premier's plan to conquer Gaza City. Over 22 months into the war in Gaza, Israel is gripped by a yawning divide, pitting those calling for an end of the conflict along with a deal for the release of the hostages against others who want to see Hamas vanquished once and for all. The debate has only intensified after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet announced plans Friday to expand the conflict and capture Gaza City. While thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv Saturday night to protest the cabinet's decision, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video online, slamming Netanyahu's decision on Gaza as half-hearted. 'The prime minister and the cabinet gave in to weakness. Emotion overcame reason, and they once again chose to do more of the same -- launching a military operation whose goal is not decisive victory, but rather to apply limited pressure on Hamas in order to bring about a partial hostage deal,' Smotrich said. 'They decided once again to repeat the same approach, embarking on a military operation that does not aim for a decisive resolution.' Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a press conference with international media at 4:30 pm local time (13:30 GMT) on Sunday -- his first since the security cabinet decision. The far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet, including Smotrich, have maintained considerable influence in the premier's coalition government throughout the war -- with their support seen as vital to holding at least 61 seats for a parliamentary majority. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far right, told Kan radio on Sunday: 'It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops.' In Tel Aviv, demonstrators held up pictures of hostages still in Gaza, calling on the government to secure their release. 'We will end with a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: if you invade parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the town squares, in election campaigns and at every time and place,' Shahar Mor Zahiro, the relative of a slain hostage, told AFP. Wave of condemnation The cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza has meanwhile touched off a wave of criticism across the globe. On Sunday, the UN Security Council is set to meet to discuss the latest development. Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, have been pushing for a negotiated truce to secure the hostages' return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the territory following repeated warnings of famine taking hold. Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Netanyahu has remained firm. In a post on social media late Friday, Netanyahu said 'we are not going to occupy Gaza -- we are going to free Gaza from Hamas'. The premier has faced regular protests over the course of the war, with many rallies calling for the government to strike a deal after past truces saw hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Out of 251 hostages captured during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the military says are dead. Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, at least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire across the territory Sunday, including 11 who were waiting near aid distribution centres. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures- AFP
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Israeli far right presses Netanyahu for decisive win against Hamas
Thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv last night to protest the Israeli government's plan to expand the war. (AP pic) JERUSALEM : Israel's far right pressed prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go harder against Hamas, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting today on the premier's bid to conquer Gaza City. Twenty-two months into the war in Gaza, Israel is gripped by a yawning divide, pitting those calling for an end of the conflict along with a deal for the release of the hostages against others who want to see Hamas vanquished once and for all. The debate has only intensified after Netanyahu's security cabinet announced plans Friday to expand the conflict and capture Gaza City. While thousands took to the streets in Tel Aviv last night to protest the cabinet's decision, far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video online, slamming Netanyahu's decision on Gaza as half-hearted. 'The prime minister and the cabinet gave in to weakness. Emotion overcame reason, and they once again chose to do more of the same – launching a military operation whose goal is not decisive victory, but rather to apply limited pressure on Hamas in order to bring about a partial hostage deal,' Smotrich said. 'They decided once again to repeat the same approach, embarking on a military operation that does not aim for a decisive resolution.' The far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet, including Smotrich, have maintained considerable influence in the premier's coalition government throughout the war – with their support seen as vital to holding at least 61-seats for a parliamentary majority. National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far right, told Kan radio today: 'It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonisation. This plan will not endanger the troops.' In Tel Aviv, demonstrators held up pictures of hostages still in Gaza, calling on the government to secure their release. 'We will end with a direct message to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu: if you invade parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you in the town squares, in election campaigns and at every time and place,' Shahar Mor Zahiro, the relative of a slain hostage, told AFP. Wave of condemnation Amid the back and forth in Israel, the cabinet's decision to expand the war in Gaza has touched off a wave of criticism across the globe. Today, the UN security council is set to meet to discuss the latest development. Foreign powers, including some of Israel's allies, have been pushing for a negotiated truce to secure the hostages' return and help alleviate a humanitarian crisis in the Strip following repeated warnings of an unfolding famine taking hold. Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Netanyahu has remained firm. In a post on social media late Friday, Netanyahu said 'we are not going to occupy Gaza – we are going to free Gaza from Hamas'. The premier has faced regular protests over the course of the war, with many rallies calling for the government to strike a deal after past truces saw hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Out of 251 hostages captured during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the military says are dead. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel – which triggered the war – resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Sidelining Hamas may undermine democracy in Palestine, says analyst
KUALA LUMPUR: The New York Declaration on Palestine and Israel could undermine democracy in Palestine if it excludes Hamas, said a political analyst. International Islamic University Malaysia's Associate Professor Dr Syaza Shukri said while it was reasonable to expect all armed groups in Palestine to come under the Palestinian Authority (PA), dismissing Hamas would align with the political preferences of Israel and certain Middle Eastern governments. "Why are we putting the blame on Hamas as if it's not in response to decades of oppression. We see the PA has not been effective in defending the rights of Palestinians against Israeli aggression," she told the New Straits Times today. She said a more sustainable approach would be to end the genocide in Gaza and hold free and fair elections to let Palestinians decide who would govern them. She said agreeing to a predetermined political arrangement against Hamas could undermine Malaysia's ability to call out non-democratic actors in the future. She said many Malaysians also recognised Hamas as a legitimate movement oppressed by both Israel and the PA. The New York Declaration outlines a plan to peacefully resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It has been endorsed by the 22-member Arab League, the European Union and a further 17 countries. The United States and Israel chose to boycott the initiative. Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun said most Western powers and their allies gave Israel near-unconditional support, making it difficult for any agreement with strong language against Israel to win adoption by influential states. He said a viable two-state solution would require American backing, but the present US administration was not in favour of it. "It's largely a restatement of the two-state solution, but Israel under the current government and the US under Trump are increasingly moving away from that," he said. Even if adopted, Oh added, such measures are unlikely to alter the stance of a very determined Israel. Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said a two-state solution was in line with Malaysia's foreign policy, but it came with specific caveats, including defining Palestine's borders along the 1967 lines, East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for seven to eight million refugees displaced during the 1948 ethnic cleansing. He said the declaration's call for Hamas to disarm is something the group might accept only if an independent and sovereign Palestine was first established. "What worries Malaysia most is that the determination of the future government of a sovereign Palestine must be by its own people, which is the Palestinian people," he said. In spite of Malaysia's unease, he urged the government to leverage the declaration, already endorsed by the Arab League and EU, to exert pressure at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, particularly on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump. On Aug 7, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia was "uneasy" with several conditions attached to the New York Declaration a document.
