Israeli Cabinet Approves Netanyahu’s Plan to Occupy Gaza City

Israel’s security cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to seize control of Gaza City, following nearly ten hours of tense deliberations marked by sharp disagreements between Netanyahu and the army’s chief of staff.

A statement released after the meeting confirmed that a majority of ministers endorsed Netanyahu’s proposal to “decisively end the battle” against Hamas by deploying the Israeli military to take control of Gaza City, while ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians outside combat zones, particularly in central Gaza.

The cabinet backed all five points presented by Netanyahu. These include occupying Gaza City, disarming Hamas, recovering all captives — both alive and deceased — enforcing the disarmament of the entire Gaza Strip, maintaining Israeli security control over the territory, and establishing an alternative civil administration independent of both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu reiterated his earlier stance that Israel does not plan to impose direct civilian administration over Gaza, but will retain military control on the ground.

During the meeting, the Israeli chief of staff tabled an alternative plan, which was ultimately rejected. Ministers argued it would fail to achieve the war’s core objectives — defeating Hamas and recovering the captives. The chief of staff reportedly proposed removing the captive recovery clause from the plan to reduce risks to their lives, warning that the army’s ability to secure a decisive victory was eroding and that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was worsening. His proposal was met with strong opposition from far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, as well as Netanyahu himself.

The meeting also saw heated debate over the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with ministers divided before agreeing to proceed with Netanyahu’s plan. The operation — referred to as “Occupying Gaza” — will focus solely on Gaza City at this stage, excluding refugee camps, as political and military disputes over the broader direction of the war persist.