Israel pushed deeper into the contested territory of Gaza on Wednesday, pressing ahead with a plan to seize the Strip while simultaneously approving thousands of new housing units in the occupied West Bank, moves that sparked international alarm and reignited debate over the future of a Palestinian state.
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the military’s chief spokesperson, declared that Israel “has begun the next phase of the war,” with troops edging into Gaza City’s outskirts and preparations under way to relocate displaced residents to southern Gaza, reported NYT.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, the government greenlit 3,400 settlement homes in a project described by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hard-line coalition partner, as proof that the “idea of a Palestinian state is being erased from the table.”
For the takeover move, Israel's defence minister has authorised the call-up of about 60,000 reservists, piling pressure on Hamas.
The dual announcements landed just as mediators floated a new ceasefire proposal -- one reportedly close to terms Israel had previously backed. However, Israel's plan to move ahead with the takeover plan cast doubt on whether talks could advance amid the escalations.
The looming assault aims to prevent Hamas, which led the deadly October. 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel that started the war, from regrouping and planning future attacks, an Israeli military official, who requested anonymity in line with military protocol, told NYT on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: 'I've settled six wars': Trump calls Netanyahu 'war hero'
What this could mean
If Israel takes "full control" of Gaza, it would reverse the decision made in 2005 when Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from the area.
Since then, Israel has kept control over Gaza’s borders, airspace, and utilities. This move could also mean that the Israeli military would enter parts of Gaza that it does not yet control. Some right-wing leaders in Israel argue that the 2005 pullout from Gaza helped Hamas rise to power by winning elections in 2006.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal is to defeat Hamas and rescue the remaining hostages, but it’s unclear if this plan is for the short term or something longer.
Arab countries are not on board
So far, no Arab country has agreed to help govern Gaza after the war. A Jordanian official told Reuters, "Arab countries would only support what Palestinians agree and decide on." He added that security should be managed by Palestinian institutions.
A Hamas leader, Osama Hamdan, told Al Jazeera that any force trying to govern Gaza alongside Israel would be treated as an "occupying" power.
Earlier this year, Egypt proposed a plan backed by Arab countries to set up a neutral Palestinian committee to run Gaza after the war. But both Israel and the United States rejected it.
Situation in Gaza remains dire
The Israeli army has claimed it now controls about 75 per cent of Gaza. But most of Gaza’s 2 million people have been displaced many times over the past 22 months. Aid groups are warning that famine is very close.
One resident, 30-year-old Aya Mohammad, said, "Where should we go? We have been displaced and humiliated enough." Hamas says it will only agree to a deal that ends the war permanently. Israel says Hamas is not serious about giving up power.
ALSO READ: Netanyahu's 'greater Israel' comments spark criticism; Arab nations slam 'delusional claims'
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the military’s chief spokesperson, declared that Israel “has begun the next phase of the war,” with troops edging into Gaza City’s outskirts and preparations under way to relocate displaced residents to southern Gaza, reported NYT.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, the government greenlit 3,400 settlement homes in a project described by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hard-line coalition partner, as proof that the “idea of a Palestinian state is being erased from the table.”
For the takeover move, Israel's defence minister has authorised the call-up of about 60,000 reservists, piling pressure on Hamas.
The dual announcements landed just as mediators floated a new ceasefire proposal -- one reportedly close to terms Israel had previously backed. However, Israel's plan to move ahead with the takeover plan cast doubt on whether talks could advance amid the escalations.
The looming assault aims to prevent Hamas, which led the deadly October. 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel that started the war, from regrouping and planning future attacks, an Israeli military official, who requested anonymity in line with military protocol, told NYT on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: 'I've settled six wars': Trump calls Netanyahu 'war hero'
What this could mean
If Israel takes "full control" of Gaza, it would reverse the decision made in 2005 when Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from the area.
Since then, Israel has kept control over Gaza’s borders, airspace, and utilities. This move could also mean that the Israeli military would enter parts of Gaza that it does not yet control. Some right-wing leaders in Israel argue that the 2005 pullout from Gaza helped Hamas rise to power by winning elections in 2006.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal is to defeat Hamas and rescue the remaining hostages, but it’s unclear if this plan is for the short term or something longer.
Arab countries are not on board
So far, no Arab country has agreed to help govern Gaza after the war. A Jordanian official told Reuters, "Arab countries would only support what Palestinians agree and decide on." He added that security should be managed by Palestinian institutions.
A Hamas leader, Osama Hamdan, told Al Jazeera that any force trying to govern Gaza alongside Israel would be treated as an "occupying" power.
Earlier this year, Egypt proposed a plan backed by Arab countries to set up a neutral Palestinian committee to run Gaza after the war. But both Israel and the United States rejected it.
Situation in Gaza remains dire
The Israeli army has claimed it now controls about 75 per cent of Gaza. But most of Gaza’s 2 million people have been displaced many times over the past 22 months. Aid groups are warning that famine is very close.
One resident, 30-year-old Aya Mohammad, said, "Where should we go? We have been displaced and humiliated enough." Hamas says it will only agree to a deal that ends the war permanently. Israel says Hamas is not serious about giving up power.
ALSO READ: Netanyahu's 'greater Israel' comments spark criticism; Arab nations slam 'delusional claims'
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