Israel approves plan to seize Gaza City, prompting sharp domestic backlash
Israel's security cabinet approved a plan on Friday proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish military control over Gaza City, a move that has sparked sharp criticism from opposition leaders and heightened concerns over the fate of hostages.
A statement from Netanyahu's office said the Israeli military is preparing to take control of the city 'while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones.'
According to the statement, the cabinet voted in favor of five key principles to end the war:
1. The disarming of Hamas.
2. The return of all the hostages – the living and the deceased.
3. The demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
4. Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip.
5. The establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
The government statement added that a 'decisive majority' of ministers rejected a competing proposal presented to the cabinet, stating it would 'neither achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages' though no further details were disclosed.
The Security Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister's proposal for defeating Hamas.The IDF will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 8, 2025
Opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply condemned the decision, calling it a 'disaster' that would lead to 'many more disasters.' He blamed far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for pushing Netanyahu into what he described as 'a step that will take months, cost the lives of hostages and soldiers, and trap Israel on the battlefield with no clear objective'—something he claimed was 'exactly what Hamas wants.'
החלטת הקבינט הלילה היא אסון שיוביל לאסונות רבים נוספים. בניגוד מוחלט לדעת הצבא ודרגי הבטחון, בלי התחשבות בשחיקה ובהתשה של הכוחות הלוחמים, בן גביר וסמוטריץ' גררו את נתניהו למהלך שייקח חודשים ארוכים, יוביל למות החטופים, להרג חיילים רבים, יעלה עשרות מיליארדים למשלם המיסים הישראלי…
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) August 8, 2025
Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Israel Beitenu party, also criticized the plan, accusing Netanyahu of 'once again sacrificing Israeli security for political survival.'
ההחלטה שקיבל הקבינט, בניגוד לעמדתו המקצועית של הרמטכ״ל שהזהיר מפני הסכנות הרבות שמהלך כזה יביא, מוכיחה שהחלטות של חיים ומוות מתקבלות בניגוד לשיקולי הביטחון ומטרות המלחמה. ראש ממשלת השבעה באוקטובר שוב מקריב את ביטחון אזרחי ישראל בשביל הכיסא.
— אביגדור ליברמן (@AvigdorLiberman) August 8, 2025
Yair Golan, leader of Israel's Democratic Party, called the decision—reportedly made 'against the advice of the army chief'—a 'disaster for generations and a death sentence for the hostages.' He urged intensified public protest against Netanyahu's government, saying, 'bringing it down will save lives.'
החלטת הקבינט הלילה, בניגוד לדעת הרמטכ״ל, היא אסון לדורות.משמעותה - גזר דין מוות לחטופים ועוד משפחות שכולות.בנינו ונכדינו עוד יפטרלו בסמטאות עזה, אנחנו נשלם מאות מיליארדים לאורך שנים וכל זאת מטעמים של הישרדות פוליטית וחזיונות משיחיים.אנחנו חייבים להחריף את המאבק. הפלת הממשלה…
— Yair Golan - יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) August 8, 2025
On Thursday, Netanyahu declared that Israel intends to militarily control the entire Gaza Strip before eventually handing it over to Arab forces 'capable of governing it appropriately.'
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