Netanyahu’s office confirms cabinet approval of his plan to conquer Gaza City

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirms that the security cabinet has approved his plan for the IDF to take over Gaza City in the north of the enclave.

Israel will provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside of combat zones, the PMO says in a statement on what it says was the decision by the cabinet to back Netanyahu’s “proposal to defeat Hamas.”

A majority of cabinet members also backed a list of five principles that Israel will demand in exchange for ending the war with Hamas, the Prime Minister’s Office says, describing them as follows.

1. The disarmament of Hamas

2. The return of all 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive

3. The demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.

4. Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip.

5. The existence of an alternative civilian government that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

An overwhelming majority of ministers determined that the alternative plan presented to the security cabinet would not have secured the defeat of Hamas or the return of the hostages, the PMO says.

The statement doesn’t elaborate on the aforementioned alternative plan, but it appears to be referring to a proposal presented by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who has expressed his opposition to occupying the Gaza Strip, fearing it will lead to a humanitarian disaster, while risking the lives of the hostages.

It’s unclear why the statement only refers to conquering Gaza City and not the occupation of the entirety of the Gaza Strip, as Netanyahu declared on Thursday was his plan.

Gaza City is part of the 25 percent of the Strip that the IDF has yet to conquer, along with several refugee camps in central Gaza.

It’s unclear whether those other unconquered areas outside of Gaza City will also be taken over, as part of the plan authorized by the security cabinet.

The decision to highlight Gaza City indicates that the military takeover will be gradual and at least start there.

The operation will likely require the evacuation of Gaza City where some 800,000 Gazans currently reside. The move will further shrink the amount of territory where Gaza’s population of roughly 2 million people is allowed to reside.