The Israeli safety cupboard has authorized plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza Metropolis, in an enlargement of Israeli army operations that comes amid worldwide condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian scenario within the Gaza Strip.
The choice, introduced in an announcement by the prime minister’s workplace, got here after a marathon assembly of the cupboard that lasted for a number of hours stretching into the early morning hours of Friday in Israel.
“The Safety Cupboard has authorized the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas,” the Israeli prime minister’s workplace stated within the assertion. “The IDF will put together for the takeover of Gaza Metropolis whereas guaranteeing the supply of humanitarian support to the civilian inhabitants exterior the fight zones.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks throughout an occasion on the Waldorf Astoria Lodge in Jerusalem on July 27, 2025.
Gil Cohen-magen/AFP through Getty Pictures
Within the assertion, the prime minister’s workplace stated the safety cupboard by a majority vote adopted 5 ideas for ending the battle, together with “Israel safety management within the Gaza Strip.”
The opposite ideas embrace:
- Disarming Hamas
- Returning all of the hostages, together with the our bodies of those that have died
- The demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; and
- Establishing an alternate civil administration that’s neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority
The assertion from the prime minister’s workplace stated a “decisive majority” of the ministers within the safety cupboard believed that an unspecified different plan that was additionally thought of “would obtain neither the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages.”
Earlier than the assembly, Netanyahu stated in a Fox Information interview on Thursday that Israel “intends to” take management of all of Gaza, however “we do not need to hold it or govern it,” he stated.
He added, “We do not need to be there as a governing physique. We need to hand it over to Arab forces that can govern it correctly with out threatening us and giving Gazans a superb life. That is not attainable with Hamas.”
Netanyahu stated within the interview that he has not mentioned Israel occupying all of Gaza with President Donald Trump.
“He understands that it is Israel who’s going to do the combating. It is not American troopers,” Netanyahu instructed Fox when requested if Trump has given him the inexperienced mild to occupy all of Gaza.
“Nicely he simply says, ‘I do know Israel goes to do what it is going to do,’ and we’ve not gotten into that form of dialogue,” Netanyahu stated.
An Israeli military infantry-fighting car leaves a cloud of mud because it strikes at a place alongside Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip on August 5, 2025.
AFP through Getty Pictures
Responding to Netanyahu’s feedback on Fox, Hamas stated the prime minister’s feedback revealed the actual cause Israel withdrew from the negotiations to achieve a ceasefire deal.
“Netanyahu’s statements symbolize a blatant reversal of the negotiation course of and clearly expose the actual motives behind his withdrawal from the newest spherical of talks, regardless of us nearing a ultimate settlement,” Hamas stated in an announcement.
“Netanyahu’s plans to escalate the aggression verify, with none doubt, that he’s in search of to get rid of his captives and sacrifice them in service of his private pursuits and extremist ideological agenda,” Hamas continued.
Demonstrators maintain torches, throughout a protest exterior Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace, to demand the fast launch of the hostages kidnapped throughout the lethal October 7, 2023, assault on Israel by Hamas, and the tip of the battle, in Jerusalem, August 7, 2025.
Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Earlier than the choice was introduced, the Hostage Households Discussion board referred to as for the Israeli cupboard to return to negotiations and attain a deal that might convey the remaining hostages residence.
“We’re interesting to the cupboard — the enlargement of the combating is a hazard of loss of life and fast disappearance for our family members — look us within the eye once you select to sacrifice them,” the Hostage Households Discussion board stated in an announcement.
Two sources acquainted with the matter instructed ABC Information earlier this week that Netanyahu had determined to suggest that the IDF transfer ahead with a plan to totally conquer and occupy the Palestinian territory.
Netanyahu held a three-hour restricted safety cupboard assembly on Tuesday the place the matter was mentioned, in accordance with a readout from the prime minister’s workplace.
“The IDF is ready to implement any resolution made by the Political-Safety Cupboard,” the readout stated.
On this image taken from a place on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip leaves a path of smoke on Aug. 7, 2025.
Jack Guez/AFP through Getty Pictures
On Sunday, an Israeli official instructed ABC Information that Netanyahu was pushing to develop the army operation in Gaza on the grounds that he felt Hamas just isn’t occupied with reaching a brand new deal underneath which surviving hostages could possibly be launched.
When requested in regards to the attainable enlargement of the marketing campaign in Gaza, U.S. State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated Tuesday, “Reporting is one factor. Actual plans could be one other. We aren’t within the enterprise of decoding statements from international governments when and in the event that they’re made.”
“We do stay targeted on liberating the hostages, together with the stays of two People, and guaranteeing that Hamas by no means guidelines Gaza once more,” Bruce stated.
ABC Information’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
