Thursday, August 7, 2025

Netanyahu Announces Plan to Take Military Control of Gaza, Not Govern It

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel intends to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip but has no plans to govern it, according to an interview with Fox News on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The statement comes ahead of a critical Israeli security cabinet meeting to discuss expanding military operations in the Palestinian enclave

In the interview, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s objectives, stating, “We intend to [take over] in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas [from] there … and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel.” He emphasized that Israel seeks to establish a “security perimeter” and hand over governance to Arab forces, saying, “We don’t want to keep it. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.

The announcement follows reports in Israeli media that Netanyahu is seeking approval to expand military operations, including in densely populated areas where Hamas is believed to be holding captives. This comes amid growing domestic and international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the Health Ministry reported four additional deaths due to famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the total hunger-related deaths to 197, including 96 children, since the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The security cabinet meeting has sparked tensions, with reports of disagreements between Netanyahu and Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who reportedly opposes a full reoccupation of Gaza. Defence Minister Israel Katz stated on Wednesday that while the chief of staff has the right to express his views, the military must adhere to government policies. Zamir, in a statement on Thursday, reaffirmed his commitment to independently voicing his position, emphasizing the life-and-death stakes involved in defending the state. Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, writing for *Haaretz*, dismissed Netanyahu’s proposal of transferring governance to Arab forces as “far-fetched,” arguing that no external force would likely take on such a role. Levy suggested that the plan’s underlying goal may be the “ethnic cleansing of Gaza” by pushing residents into a “humanitarian concentration camp” and encouraging their departure from the territory. The plan has drawn significant concern within Israel, particularly among families of hostages still held in Gaza. On Thursday, some families launched a protest flotilla from Ashkelon’s port, attempting to approach Gaza to demand the immediate release of their loved ones. The Hostages Families Forum urged Zamir to oppose expanding the war and called for a ceasefire deal to secure the release of the remaining captives, estimated at 20 still alive out of 50. The United Nations has warned that a full military takeover could have “catastrophic consequences” for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages, while the UK’s ambassador to Israel called it “a huge mistake.” The war, now in its 22nd month, has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and displaced 90% of the territory’s 2.1 million residents, many of whom face severe malnutrition and starvation.
Netanyahu’s push for control comes amid stalled ceasefire talks and pressure from far-right coalition members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who advocate for re-establishing Israeli settlements in Gaza, reversing the 2005 withdrawal. Critics, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, have called the plan a recipe for “another war” and warned of economic and diplomatic fallout.

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