Israel set to 'take control' of Gaza City

New plan to expand war sparks concern

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Israel's military will “take control” of Gaza City under a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet, his office said in a statement yesterday.

Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, Mr Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home and abroad for a truce to pull the territory's more than 2 million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants.

Under the plan to “defeat” Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army “will prepare to take control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside combat zones”, the premier's office said.

Before the decision, Mr Netanyahu said Israel planned to take full control of Gaza but did not intend to govern it.

He told US network Fox News on Thursday that the military would seize complete control of the territory, where it has been fighting Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel.