Israel's Security Cabinet has approved the occupation of Gaza
Rights — di Simone Santi
Israel's Security Cabinet has approved the occupation of Gaza: civilians have until 7 October to evacuate the Strip's main city
Israel's Security Cabinet has approved the occupation of Gaza
Israel's Security Cabinet has approved the occupation of Gaza: civilians have until 7 October to evacuate the Strip's main city
- Netanyahu's plan approved: the IDF will occupy Gaza City, with civilians given until 7 October to evacuate.
- The plan calls for the elimination of Hamas, the release of hostages, the securing of the Strip and its handover to an Arab entity.
- The United Nations reacted harshly: halt the occupation immediately, it is contrary to international law.
After a marathon meeting lasting ten hours and ending in the early hours of the morning, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to grant the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) control over Gaza City. In other words: to proceed militarily with the occupation of Gaza.
BREAKING: Israel's Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for the occupation of Gaza City, according to an unidentified Israeli official. | Report
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The statement from the Prime Minister's office outlines the five core principles that are to guide the occupation of Gaza.
- total disarmament of Hamas;
- release of all hostages, including those who have died;
- demilitarisation of the Strip;
- Israeli assumption of security control over the area;
- formation of a civilian administration as an alternative to both Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority, which currently controls the West Bank.
According to Times of Israel, Palestinians will be given until 7 October 2025 — a highly symbolic date, the second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attack — to evacuate Gaza City, after which the offensive phase of the occupation of Gaza and the assumption of military control will begin. The army will continue to provide humanitarian assistance "outside combat zones".
The internal rift over the occupation of Gaza
The decision, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu's office, was approved by a "decisive majority" of ministers — a formulation that nonetheless hints, combined with the record length of the meeting, at a deep rift between the government and the IDF over the decision: strong resistance was reportedly expressed by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who is concerned about the safety of the hostages and the army's state of exhaustion. On the opposite side stood the most hardline wing of the Israeli government, backed by Defence Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was actually pushing for the total and permanent annexation of the Gaza Strip.
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Netanyahu's own line ultimately prevailed — one that had already been signalled the previous day during an interview on Fox News: already that afternoon the Prime Minister had made clear that Israel did not intend to occupy Gaza permanently, but rather to establish a "security perimeter" before handing control to "Arab forces" that would guarantee stability in the area.
The UN: halt the plan immediately
The occupation decision, however, drew fierce criticism even before it was formally announced — both domestically, with protests from former hostages and prisoners' families calling for negotiations to secure their release — and from the international community. The United Nations, through High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, warned that "the plan for complete military control of the occupied Gaza Strip must be immediately halted", as it runs contrary to international law, Mr Türk continued, referring to the ruling of the International Court of Justice according to which Israel must bring its occupation to an end and achieve a two-state solution that gives Palestinians the right to self-determination.
Hamas was not slow to respond, unsurprisingly rejecting the plan. In an official statement, the political and military organisation that controls the Strip declared that the population of Gaza "will continue to resist the occupation", warning that "the expansion of aggression against our Palestinian people will not be a walk in the park".