On the night of August 8, Israel’s war cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to take full control of Gaza City. Fox News aired an interview with Netanyahu in which he stated his intention to gain control over Gaza, reports Adyrna.
Currently, Israeli forces control about 75 percent of the Gaza Strip’s territory.
According to The Times of Israel, the operation targeting Gaza City will require the mass evacuation of nearly 800,000 residents.
“The armed forces will prepare to take control of Gaza City, while also providing humanitarian aid to civilians outside the war zone,” the Israeli government’s statement said.
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel does not intend to govern the Gaza Strip but wants to establish a security buffer zone and hand the area over to Arab forces that do not pose a threat to Israel.
“We understand that this is not possible with Hamas,” Netanyahu said.
Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir does not support the idea of a full occupation of Gaza. According to journalists, he called the plan “a trap for the army.” Nevertheless, the government stated that the army has been ordered to carry out whatever decision is made.
The Israeli military aims to take control of Gaza City and relocate about 1 million residents to the southern part of the Strip. This is the first phase. The second phase, set to begin in several weeks, will involve increasing humanitarian aid while launching attacks on refugee camps and areas where hostages may be held.
