Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to militarily occupy Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in the country’s war against Hamas.
The decision follows an all-night cabinet session and aligns with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader strategy to dismantle Hamas and transfer control of Gaza to Arab forces aligned against the terrorist group.
In a post released early Friday on the official X account of the Prime Minister of Israel, the government stated:
“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.”
Five-Point Plan for Ending the War
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the cabinet adopted five guiding principles for concluding the conflict:
- Defeat and disarm Hamas.
- Return all hostages, both living and deceased.
- Demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
- Maintain Israeli security control in Gaza.
- Establish an alternative civil administration — one that excludes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
A government spokesperson added that a majority of cabinet ministers rejected an alternative plan, arguing that it would neither dismantle Hamas nor secure the return of the remaining hostages.
Goal Is Security, Not Long-Term Occupation
Speaking to Fox News prior to the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear that Israel’s objective is to ensure long-term security — not permanent occupation.
“We intend to [take control] in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza,” Netanyahu said.
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” he continued. “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.”
Gaza City’s Strategic and Symbolic Importance
Gaza City has been a central target of Israeli airstrikes and raids since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre, but remains one of the last parts of Gaza not under Israeli buffer control or evacuation orders.
Despite mass displacement early in the war, many civilians returned during a temporary ceasefire earlier this year.
The city holds not only strategic value but symbolic significance, as it is considered the administrative and operational hub of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
