Gaza latest: Israel to ‘begin siege of Gaza on October 7’ after Netanyahu given green light to take full military control
The Israeli political-security cabinet has approved Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take full military control of Gaza City.
Netanyahu’s office said that “the IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones”.
Soon after, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed the Gaza City takeover plan as a “disaster” and “exactly what Hamas wanted”. He also blamed far-right ministers for pushing Netanyahu into defying military advice.
Israeli media have reported that the plan would begin with the entire Gaza population ordered to move south, followed by a siege on Gaza City in time for the anniversary of Hamas’s bloody 7 October attack.
Netanyahu said that neither Hamas nor the rival Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank would be allowed to be involved in the civil administration that will take over.
In response, Hamas said Netanyahu’s remarks “confirm that he seeks to get rid of his prisoners and sacrifice them to serve his personal interests and extremist ideological agendas”.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the decision to “further escalate its offensive”, adding it “only brings more bloodshed”.
