Several countries condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to take control of Gaza City. The move comes after Israel's Security Cabinet approved his plan in the early hours of Friday morning.
Netanyahu said in a Fox News interview that Israel intended to assert military control across Gaza and eventually hand over administration to Arab nations, though he did not name which countries might be involved or on what terms.
A statement from his office on Friday confirmed the Israeli Defence Forces would prepare to take control of Gaza City while continuing to provide humanitarian aid outside combat zones.
"The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Asked if Israel, whose forces say they already hold about 75% of the slender coastal strip, would occupy all of it, Netanyahu told Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer in an interview on Thursday: "We intend to."
But he said Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces to govern it. He did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.
"We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body," he said.
Australia
Australia has warned Israel against taking full military control of Gaza, saying the move would worsen the humanitarian crisis and breach international law.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Israel “not to go down this path” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed plans to seize Gaza City, approved by Israel’s security cabinet on Friday.
“Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international law,” Wong said in a statement, calling instead for an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid, and the return of hostages taken by Hamas in October 2023.
Wong reiterated Australia’s support for a two-state solution, calling it “the only pathway to secure an enduring peace – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally-recognised borders.”
Australia has not formally recognised Palestinian statehood, unlike some of its Western allies including France, Canada and the U.K., but has said a decision would be made “at an appropriate time”.
Türkiye
Türkiye says it condemns in the strongest terms, Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City, calling on the United Nations Security Council to act to stop its implementation.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Israel must immediately halt its war plans, agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, and start negotiations for a two-state solution. It warned that every step by Israel’s government to “forcibly displace Palestinians from their own land” delivers a heavy blow to global security.
Türkiye's foreign minister will travel to Egypt on Saturday for talks with senior officials on Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City and on the humanitarian situation there, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Friday.
UK decision
The condemnation also came from UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging Israel to reconsider the decision, calling it wrong and counterproductive.
In a statement he said that “The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately.”
Starmer called for an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas, and a negotiated solution.
Denmark
Israel's plan to intensify operations in Gaza is "a wrong move", Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said on Friday.
"The (Gaza) humanitarian situation is catastrophic and demands immediate improvement. This decision in no way contributes to this and will also not help to get the hostages home," Veldkamp said in a statement on X.
Germany
Germany's Chancellor, Friedrich Merz said he remains deeply concerned about the continued suffering of the civilian population in the Strip and said that the German government will not approve any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice.
Hamas
Hamas on Friday described Israel's decision to take control of Gaza City as a "war crime", adding that the Israeli government "does not care about the fate of its hostages".
Hostages
There are 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom Israeli officials believe 20 are alive. Most of those freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July.
Videos released last week of two living hostages showed them emaciated and frail, stirring international condemnation.
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but now controls only fragments, insists any deal must lead to a permanent end to the war. Israel says the group has no intention of going through with promises to give up power afterwards.
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Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a new military plan to take control of Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in its nearly two-year conflict with Hamas and raising alarm among humanitarian agencies over the deepening crisis for civilians in the enclave.
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