Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to seize control of Gaza, raising fears of intensified conflict and humanitarian catastrophe, amid the ongoing genocide.
In a Fox News interview, Netanyahu stated:
We intend to [take control of all of Gaza] in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of [sic] Gaza and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel.
He emphasized Israel’s desire to establish a “security perimeter” without governing Gaza directly, stating, “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it.”
These remarks come as Israel’s cabinet considers expanding military operations, despite international warnings about Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
Israel’s ongoing blockade severely restricts aid to Gaza, with only 92 trucks entering on Wednesday — far below the 500-600 needed daily, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported that hunger has become a deadly threat, with four deaths from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 197, including 96 children.
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — dubbed 'death trap' — has been criticized as militarized and unsafe, with over 1,300 Palestinians killed at its distribution sites since May.
Displaced residents like Ismail al-Fayoumi described chaotic aid drops, saying, “People are tearing each other apart for it, and the amount is so limited.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Israeli strikes on schools sheltering civilians, finding “no evidence of a military target” and labeling them “unlawfully indiscriminate.”
Moataz El Fegiery of EuroMed Rights argued that Israel aims to make Gaza unlivable, stating:
Israel has an intention to target these institutions so they [can] achieve massive killings and casualties among civilians. But at the same time, [they want to] spread a climate of fear and terrorize civilians so they can leave the territory.
A poll across Brazil, Colombia, Greece, South Africa, and Spain showed strong public support for halting arms exports to Israel, with 58% in Spain and 57% in Greece favoring a complete stop.
Netanyahu’s plan to control Gaza, coupled with ongoing military actions and a stifling blockade, has deepened fears of further displacement and suffering for Palestinians.