The Israeli safety cupboard has accredited plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza Metropolis, in an growth of Israeli army operations that comes amid worldwide condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian state of affairs 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 accredited the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas,” the Israeli prime minister’s workplace mentioned within the assertion. “The IDF will put together for the takeover of Gaza Metropolis whereas making certain the availability of humanitarian support to the civilian inhabitants outdoors the fight zones.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks throughout an occasion on the Waldorf Astoria Resort in Jerusalem on July 27, 2025.
Gil Cohen-magen/AFP through Getty Photos
Within the assertion, the prime minister’s workplace mentioned the safety cupboard by a majority vote adopted 5 rules for ending the struggle, together with “Israel safety management within the Gaza Strip.”
The opposite rules embody:
- 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 another civil administration that’s neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority
The assertion from the prime minister’s workplace mentioned a “decisive majority” of the ministers within the safety cupboard believed that an unspecified various plan that was additionally thought-about “would obtain neither the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages.”
Earlier than the assembly, Netanyahu mentioned in a Fox Information interview on Thursday that Israel “intends to” take management of all of Gaza, however “we do not wish to maintain it or govern it,” he mentioned.
He added, “We do not wish to be there as a governing physique. We wish to hand it over to Arab forces that may govern it correctly with out threatening us and giving Gazans an excellent life. That is not potential with Hamas.”
Netanyahu mentioned 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 informed Fox when requested if Trump has given him the inexperienced mild to occupy all of Gaza.
“Properly he simply says, ‘I do know Israel goes to do what it should do,’ and we have not gotten into that type of dialogue,” Netanyahu mentioned.
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 Photos
Responding to Netanyahu’s feedback on Fox, Hamas mentioned the prime minister’s feedback revealed the true cause Israel withdrew from the negotiations to succeed in a ceasefire deal.
“Netanyahu’s statements symbolize a blatant reversal of the negotiation course of and clearly expose the true motives behind his withdrawal from the newest spherical of talks, regardless of us nearing a ultimate settlement,” Hamas mentioned in an announcement.
“Netanyahu’s plans to escalate the aggression affirm, with none doubt, that he’s searching for to eliminate his captives and sacrifice them in service of his private pursuits and extremist ideological agenda,” Hamas continued.
Demonstrators maintain torches, throughout a protest outdoors Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace, to demand the quick launch of the hostages kidnapped throughout the lethal October 7, 2023, assault on Israel by Hamas, and the top of the struggle, in Jerusalem, August 7, 2025.
Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Earlier than the choice was introduced, the Hostage Households Discussion board known as for the Israeli cupboard to return to negotiations and attain a deal that might carry the remaining hostages house.
“We’re interesting to the cupboard — the growth of the combating is a hazard of dying and quick disappearance for our family members — look us within the eye once you select to sacrifice them,” the Hostage Households Discussion board mentioned in an announcement.
Two sources acquainted with the matter informed ABC Information earlier this week that Netanyahu had determined to suggest that the IDF transfer ahead with a plan to fully 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 choice made by the Political-Safety Cupboard,” the readout mentioned.
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 Photos
On Sunday, an Israeli official informed ABC Information that Netanyahu was pushing to broaden the army operation in Gaza on the grounds that he felt Hamas shouldn’t be inquisitive about reaching a brand new deal underneath which surviving hostages could possibly be launched.
When requested in regards to the potential growth of the marketing campaign in Gaza, U.S. State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned Tuesday, “Reporting is one factor. Actual plans is perhaps one other. We’re not within the enterprise of deciphering statements from overseas governments when and in the event that they’re made.”
“We do stay centered on liberating the hostages, together with the stays of two Individuals, and making certain that Hamas by no means guidelines Gaza once more,” Bruce mentioned.
ABC Information’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
