Israel’s political-security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the enclave. The decision came early Friday, just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s intention to assume military control over the entire Gaza Strip.
The move follows nearly two years of war, which has drawn growing criticism both domestically and internationally. Despite this, Netanyahu said Israel’s security comes first.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will prepare to take control of Gaza City. Humanitarian aid will be provided to civilians outside combat zones.
According to reports, the plan includes evacuating Palestinian civilians before launching a ground offensive. Gaza City is located in the north of the strip and is home to a large portion of Gaza’s population.
Axios journalist Barak Ravid cited an Israeli official saying civilians would be moved out before operations begin.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel intends to control the entire Gaza Strip but does not plan to govern it permanently.
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” Netanyahu said. He suggested that Arab forces could take over governance after Israel’s operation, though he did not name specific countries or detail how such an arrangement would work.
The decision followed a meeting of senior ministers, which sources described as tense. Military chief Eyal Zamir reportedly expressed concerns about expanding operations.
Netanyahu’s office stated that most cabinet members rejected an alternative plan, saying it would not defeat Hamas or secure the release of hostages. Any security cabinet resolution will require approval from the full cabinet, possibly on Sunday.
One source said scenarios include a phased takeover of Gaza areas still outside Israeli control. Evacuation warnings could be issued weeks before military action.
If carried out, full military control would reverse Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, when Israeli citizens and soldiers left the territory but Israel retained control over borders, airspace, and utilities. Many right-wing politicians blame that withdrawal for Hamas’s rise to power in 2006.
Israel has stated that its main goals are to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Hamas and Arab Reactions
Hamas condemned Netanyahu’s comments, calling them “a blatant coup” against negotiations. The group accused him of wanting to abandon Israeli captives.
A Jordanian official told Reuters that Arab countries would only support governance arrangements approved by Palestinians and that Gaza’s security should be managed by legitimate Palestinian institutions.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera that any force set up to govern Gaza after the war would be treated as an occupying power.
Earlier this year, Israel and the U.S. rejected an Egyptian proposal for Gaza to be run by an administrative body of independent Palestinian technocrats after the conflict.
Public and International Response
Opinion polls in Israel show most citizens want the war to end through a deal that frees remaining hostages.
The United Nations called reports of expanded military action “deeply alarming.” Far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition have pushed for advancing into parts of Gaza still not under Israeli control.
In Jerusalem, hundreds protested outside the Prime Minister’s Office, demanding an end to the war in exchange for hostages’ release. Demonstrators held signs with hostages’ photos, criticizing the government’s handling of the crisis.
The Hostages Families Forum urged military leaders to oppose widening the conflict. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military would carry out government decisions until all objectives are met.
