Latest: UAE condemns Israeli far-right minister's 'provocative' visit to Al Aqsa Mosque
Saudi Arabia renews call for international support for two-state solution
Trump says Arab states will help with aid provision
Startling new details reveal how Gazans are lured to their deaths in aid queues
At least 61,020 Palestinians killed and 150,671 wounded since Gaza war began
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The National
10 minutes ago
- The National
Why has Israel decided to reoccupy Gaza - and at what cost?
Nearly two decades after Israel withdrew from Gaza, dismantling settlements and military posts under Ariel Sharon's leadership, the Israeli government has now approved a plan to take over the Palestinian enclave again, following 22 months of its war there. What began as speculation this week quickly became official policy after a 10-hour security cabinet meeting, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gained approval to take full control of northern Gaza. The plan includes displacing up to a million people and reshaping governance in the strip under an as yet undefined 'civilian authority'. Mr Netanyahu claims this move will restore Israel's security and free Gazans from Hamas rule. But critics, including top military officials and former security leaders, warn this could destroy prospects for a ceasefire, worsen the humanitarian catastrophe and endanger remaining hostages. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to two Israeli figures on opposite sides of the debate: Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security think tank and former head of the research division in the Israeli military intelligence; and Ami Ayalon, a former commander of the Israeli Navy and former director of the Israel security agency Shin Bet. One defends reoccupation as a necessary strategy, the other calls it a dangerous step that could cost Israel its identity, security and future.
Middle East Eye
43 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Germany halts military exports to Israel in response to Gaza occupation plan
Germany is halting further military exports to Israel that can be used in the Gaza Strip in response to Israel's plan to fully occupy the Palestinian enclave. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that the exports were frozen 'until further notice' and expressed concern for the plight of Gaza's Palestinians, who are suffering under Israeli-imposed starvation. This is a developing story…
Dubai Eye
2 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza
Israel's political-security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza early on Friday, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of the entire strip. "The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, referring to the Israeli Defence Forces. Gaza City, in the north of the strip, is the largest city in the enclave. Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing an Israeli official, said on X the plan involved evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a ground offensive there. Netanyahu on Thursday told Fox News Channel's Bill Hemmer in an interview "we intend to" when asked if Israel would take over the entire coastal territory. "We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body." He said Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it. He did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved. Netanyahu made the comments to Fox News ahead of a meeting with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza. Israeli officials described a previous meeting this week with the head of the military as tense, saying military chief Eyal Zamir had pushed back on expanding Israel's campaign. In its Friday statement, Netanyahu's office said the vast majority of the political-security cabinet members believed that "the alternative plan presented in the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages". Two government sources said any resolution by the security cabinet would need to be approved by the full cabinet, which may not meet until Sunday. Among the scenarios being considered ahead of the security meeting was a phased takeover of areas in Gaza not yet under military control, one of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Evacuation warnings could be issued to Palestinians in specific areas of Gaza, potentially giving them several weeks before the military moves in, the person added. Total control of the territory would reverse a 2005 decision by Israel by which it withdrew Israeli citizens and soldiers from Gaza, while retaining control over its borders, airspace and utilities. Right-wing parties blame that withdrawal decision for Hamas gaining power there in a 2006 election. It was unclear whether Netanyahu was foreseeing a prolonged takeover or a short-term operation. Israel has repeatedly said it aims to dismantle Hamas and free Israeli hostages. Hamas in a statement called Netanyahu's comments "a blatant coup" against the negotiation process. "Netanyahu's plans to expand the aggression confirm beyond any doubt that he seeks to get rid of his captives and sacrifice them," the statement said. Arab countries would "only support what Palestinians agree and decide on," a Jordanian official source told Reuters, adding that security in Gaza should be handled through "legitimate Palestinian institutions". Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera that the group would treat any force formed to govern Gaza as an "occupying" force linked to Israel. Earlier this year Israel and the US rejected an Egyptian proposal, backed by Arab leaders, that envisaged the creation of an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the war. Opinion polls show most Israelis want the war to end in a deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages. The White House had no immediate comment. US President Donald Trump has declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential full military takeover of Gaza by Israel. Netanyahu's government has insisted on total victory over Hamas, which ignited the war when it staged the October 2023 attack on Israel from Gaza. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza "deeply alarming" if true. The idea, pushed especially by far-right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition, of Israeli forces moving into areas they do not already hold in the enclave has also generated alarm in Israel. Outside the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on Thursday evening, hundreds of demonstrators protested against an expanded war, demanding an immediate end to the military campaign in return for the release of all the hostages. Protesters held signs bearing the faces of hostages still held in Gaza and voiced deep frustration with the government's handling of the crisis. There are 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom Israeli officials believe 20 are alive. Most of those freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. A senior Palestinian official said Hamas had told Arab mediators an increase in humanitarian aid entering Gaza would lead to a resumption in ceasefire negotiations. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but now controls only fragmented parts, insists any deal must lead to a permanent end to the war. Israel says the group has no intention of going through with promises to give up power afterwards. The Israeli military says it controls about 75 per cent of Gaza. Most of Gaza's population of about 2 million has been displaced multiple times over the past 22 months and aid groups are warning that the enclave's residents are on the verge of famine.
