Israel’s government continues to roll out an ambitious plan to seize control of Gaza City. The immediate aim should be to disarm Hamas and create a new, non-corrupt civil administration. This strategy comes during a new intensified military campaign. Despite this shift, these actions have already caused significant humanitarian suffering in the region. It is only increasing the stakes for both the Israeli government and the Palestinian people.
At the beginning of the 2014 Gaza operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released talking points that listed five main objectives. These include disarming Hamas, securing the return of hostages, demilitarizing Gaza, establishing security control over the territory, and creating “an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.” The announcement has since come under attack from left, right, and center, including prominent opposition leaders and former security officials.
The reality for everyone on the ground in Gaza is truly tragic. Israel has followed with intense airstrikes and ground raids, turning much of Gaza City into rubble and smoke. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been reported killed since the outbreak of hostilities. The vast majority of these victims are regular, everyday civilians. This statistic doesn’t account for those buried beneath rubble. It excludes all those who have died indirectly as a result of the continuing violence.
Combined with the ongoing bombardment, around 90% of Gaza’s population have been displaced at least once. Restricted access to food and other humanitarian goods further compounds the already charged humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This is a product of Israel’s ongoing blockade on the territory. The United Nations has just called it an emergency. A large-scale ground operation would likely send an additional 165,000 people fleeing for safety, further complicating humanitarian aid delivery.
By Thursday, local hospitals had verified the deaths of at least 42 Palestinians. These casualties were the result of Israeli airstrikes and shooting attacks in southern Gaza. Even after incessant bombardments, Gaza continues to be one of the few areas in the world not declared an Israeli military buffer zone. This controversial decision has raised concerns over the potential for greater violence and bloodshed.
Netanyahu’s proposed plan has opened up, at least publicly, the largest divide in recent years between Netanyahu and leaders of Israel’s military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Even some former high-ranking Israeli security officials have loudly condemned the shift. They claim it would be stepping into a lethal quagmire with scant military benefit. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described the cabinet’s decision as a disaster that would “lead to many other disasters – diplomatic bankruptcy.”
Germany, perhaps the most important U.S. ally and supplier of arms to Israel, has done something concrete. It has suspended exports of military equipment that could be used against civilians in Gaza. Friedrich Merz, a senior German politician, stated, “Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.”
The overall plan includes transferring control of Gaza to allied Arab forces hostile to Hamas. Yet this strategy has led to increasing skepticism about its feasibility and effectiveness. Aya Mohammad, a displaced Palestinian woman, expressed her despair over the situation:
“Where should we go? We have been displaced and humiliated enough. You know what displacement is? Does the world know? It means your dignity is wiped out; you become a homeless beggar, searching for food, water and medicine.” – Aya Mohammad
International responses have varied widely. Even Keir Starmer, perhaps the highest-profile politician in Britain, condemned the Israeli plan, arguing that
“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.” – Keir Starmer
Meanwhile, U.S. former President Donald Trump remarked on the situation’s complexity but refrained from offering specific solutions:
“I really can’t say. It is going to be pretty much up to Israel.” – Donald Trump
Israel’s Defense Minister Lt Gen Eyal Zamir promised that Israel would carry out the mission with “utmost precision and determination.” Despite increasing international alarm, he insisted on their determination to press ahead.