Netanyahu defends IDF’s plan to take over Gaza, says it's vital for Israel’s security
Amid growing global criticism, Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan for disarmament of Hamas and establishment of a new administration in Gaza that is not Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday (August 7) that to destroy Hamas, Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip and eventually transfer its administration to friendly Arab forces, as the Security Cabinet approved the Prime Minister's proposal to defeat Hamas.
Also Read: Israeli Security Cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City as offensive widens
Netanyahu's proposal approved
Asked in an interview with Fox News if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza,” Netanyahu replied, “We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Hamas.”
“We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” Netanyahu said in the interview. “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.”
Netanyahu said that Israel's goal is not to take over Gaza, but to free Gaza from Hamas and enable a peaceful government to be established there.
Gaza goals
The Security Cabinet, by majority vote, adopted the five principles for concluding the war, including disarmament of Hamas, return of all the hostages, both living and the deceased, demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip, and establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
In the meeting, it was decided that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones.
A decisive majority of Security Cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan that had been submitted to the Security Cabinet would neither achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages.
Also Read: Netanyahu hints at wider Gaza offensive despite rising calls to end war
UN chief’s warning
Israel already controls about 75 per cent of Gaza. Expanding military operations would further isolate Israel internationally, after several of its closest Western allies have called on it to end the war and facilitate more humanitarian aid.
Human Rights Watch called on governments worldwide to suspend arms transfers to Israel after deadly airstrikes on two Palestinian schools-turned-shelters last year.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday (August 8) said Israel's decision to control Gaza City “risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians, and could further endanger more lives, including of the remaining hostages”. The secretary-general reiterated his urgent appeal for a ceasefire, associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said.
The UN chief strongly urged Israel to abide by the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice to end its “unlawful presence” in Palestinian territory including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, Tremblay told UN reporters.
Also Read: No room for corpses: Israel’s Himalayan sins in Gaza touch a new low
Germany halts arms exports
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday said the country will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in Gaza “until further notice.” The move by Germany, which has been a stalwart supporter of Israel for decades, comes after the Israeli Cabinet announced plans to take over Gaza City.
In a statement, Merz emphasised that Israel “has the right to defend itself against Hamas' terror” and said that the release of Israeli hostages and “purposeful negotiations toward a cease-fire in the 22-month conflict are our top priority.” He said Hamas must not have a role in the future of Gaza.
In response, Netanyahu spoke with Merz and expressed his disappointment with Merz's decision to embargo arms to Israel.
"Instead of supporting Israel's just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel," Netanyahu's office said.