After 672 days of war in the Middle East, the Israeli government has decided on a dramatic escalation, provoking sharp reactions at home and abroad. In a marathon meeting lasting over ten hours, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet gave the go-ahead for a plan to occupy Gaza City. This decision immediately triggered protests from the hostage families, a warning from the Israeli army and an immediate halt to German arms exports.
The plan envisages evacuating the approximately 800,000 civilians remaining in Gaza City to refugee camps by October 7, 2025 - the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre. The Israeli army (IDF) is then to launch a ground offensive to crush the remaining Hamas fighters.
However, the plan has met with massive resistance from within its own ranks. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir vehemently rejected the proposal during the meeting. According to Israeli media, he warned that the lives of the 20 or so people still in captivity would be endangered, that the troops were exhausted and that there was no humanitarian solution to the displacement of almost one million people. He estimated that the operation would take up to two years. However, his alternative, less radical plan was rejected by the political leadership.
Hamas described the plan as a "war crime" and stated unequivocally that an expansion of the aggression would mean "sacrificing the hostages". The families of the kidnapped also protested again in Tel Aviv and accused the government of risking the lives of their loved ones for a military objective that would not free the hostages.
The international reaction was just as clear. The United Nations called for an immediate halt to the project. In a major step, the German government under Chancellor Merz announced that it would suspend the export of weapons that could be used in Gaza with immediate effect.
Netanyahu defended the plan and explained that the operation could be stopped at any time should Hamas meet Israeli demands. After the conquest, he wanted to hand over control to "Arab forces". However, in the face of widespread resistance from the military, allies and its own population, Israel is heading towards a course of confrontation with unforeseeable consequences for the entire region.
