British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Israel to immediately reconsider its decision after the plan to re-occupy Gaza was approved overnight by a majority vote
Israel has warned Palestinians in Gaza City that they have less than two months to evacuate before it launches a full-scale military occupation.
Their plan, approved on Thursday night by the nation’s security cabinet, will see a deadline of October 7 set for a million people to flee before soldiers roll in. But Israel’s plan to re-occupy Gaza is “deeply alarming” and could lead to “catastrophic consequences”, the UN declared.
The evacuation deadline is set for the two-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre that kick-off the war back in 2023. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said the move, which will order the population to move to the south of the Strip before commencing its assault, is one of liberation. It comes after Putin warns of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine
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Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday: “We intend to, in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas there, and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel. We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas.”
Israel’s plot to take over Gaza City is “wrong” and “will only bring more bloodshed”, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said. He urged the country to immediately reconsider its decision “to further escalate its offensive in Gaza”, after the plan was approved overnight by a majority vote.
In a statement, Sir Keir said: “This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed. Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm.”
Netanyahu has clashed with his military chiefs over the occupation plans. They believe there is no strategic gain to be made as regards Israel’s security and nor will it help get the remaining hostages freed. The plans to re-take Gaza in its entirety also clash with advice from Israel ’s senior military commanders.
According to reports this week. Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenča told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that under international law, Gaza “is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian state.” He also warned Gaza faces “squalid” and “inhumane” conditions, and urged Israel to immediately allow the unimpeded passage of sufficient aid.
On Wednesday a UN clinic sheltering displaced people in Gaza City was been hit, according to on the ground witnesses. But United States President Donald Trump said it is “pretty much up to Israel” to decide if it proceeds. Trump has been distracted this week as the Gaza warning comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine.
Many military experts believe Hamas has been almost destroyed by the war, most of its leadership killed and aid blockades have left fighters struggling to survive. Israelis have repeatedly demonstrated in the streets for Netanyahu to end the war and prioritise the release of hostages.
Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir are said to have had a bust-up with Zamir arguing that the decision constitutes a “trap” for his troops. The pair argued, according to Hebrew media reports, over a post on X by the PM’s son, Yair Netanyahu, who does not hold a government position.
The younger Netanyahu lashed out at Zamir and suggested that he was behind a “rebellion and attempted military coup that is fit for a banana republic in Central America in the 70s.” Zamir objected to that accusation, saying in the meeting, according to the Kan public broadcaster: “How does that look? Why are you attacking me? Why are you speaking against me in the middle of a war?”
Horrific imagery of starving children in the Strip, with close to 100 feared to have died of malnutrition or starvation, has galvanised world opinion against Netanyahu’s insistence the war must continue. Many Israelis fear the continued attacks will further endanger the lives of the surviving hostages.