Israel Plans to Capture All of Gaza Under New Plan

European Union, UN urge restraint; say new plan 'beyond disastrous'

- 

ISRAEL on Monday approved plans to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, a move if implemented would vastly expand Israel's operations in Gaza and likely bring fierce international opposition.

Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.

The new plan, which the officials said was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza, calls for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move to Gaza's south—in what would likely amount to their forcible displacement and exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.