SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
By Tia Goldenberg and Sam Mednick
Tel Aviv: Israel approved plans on Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, a move that, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel’s operations in Gaza and likely bring fierce international opposition.
Israeli cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
Palestinians walk among destroyed buildings in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.Credit: Bloomberg
The new plan, which the officials said was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza, also calls for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move to Gaza’s south – in what would likely amount to their forcible displacement and exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.
A third person, a defence official, said the new plan wouldn’t begin until after US President Donald Trump wraps up his expected visit to the Middle East this month – allowing for the possibility that Israel might agree to a ceasefire in the meantime. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military plans.
Since Israel ended a ceasefire with the Hamas militant group in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swaths of territory and now controls roughly 50 per cent of Gaza. Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into the territory, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel says 59 captives remain in Gaza, although about 35 are believed to be dead.
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip.Credit: AP
Israel’s offensive has displaced more than 90 per cent of Gaza’s population and, Palestinian health officials say, killed more than 52,000 people there, many of them women and children. The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said on Monday the bodies of 32 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours.
Israel is trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas
The Israeli officials said the plan included the “capturing of the strip and the holding of territories.” The plan would also seek to prevent Hamas from distributing humanitarian aid, a role that Israel says strengthens the group’s rule in Gaza. It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself, without providing evidence. Aid workers deny there is a significant diversion of aid to militants, saying the United Nations strictly monitors distribution.
The officials said Israel was in touch with several countries about Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population, under what Israel has termed “voluntary emigration.” That proposal has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Israel’s allies in Europe, and rights groups have warned it could be a war crime under international law.
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift tent camp in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis.Credit: AP
For weeks, Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to get the group to agree to its terms in the ceasefire negotiations. But the measures do not appear to have moved Hamas away from its negotiating positions.
The previous ceasefire was meant to lead the sides to negotiate an end to the war, but that has remained elusive. Israel says it won’t agree to end the war until Hamas’ governing and military capabilities are dismantled. Hamas, meanwhile, has sought an agreement that winds down the war without agreeing to disarm.
Israel’s expansion announcement angered families of hostages who fear that any extension of the conflict endangers their loved ones. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which supports families, urged Israel’s decision-makers to prioritise the hostages and secure a deal quickly.
At a Knesset committee meeting on Monday, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held hostage, called on soldiers “not to report for reserve duty for moral and ethical reasons.”
Some reservists have indicated they will refuse to serve in a war they increasingly view as politically motivated.
Palestinians look at the damage after an Israeli army airstrike in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip.Credit: AP
Israel wants to prevent Hamas from handling aid
The defence official said the plan would “separate” Hamas from the aid by using private firms and by using specified areas secured by the Israeli military. The official added that Palestinians would be screened to prevent Hamas from accessing the aid.
According to a memo circulated among aid groups and seen by The Associated Press, Israel told the UN that it will use private security companies to control aid distribution in Gaza. The UN, in a statement on Sunday, said it would not participate in the plan as presented, saying it violates its core principles.
The memo summarised a meeting between the Israeli defence body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, called COGAT, and the UN. It was written by a group briefed on the meeting and sent to aid organisations on Sunday.
According to the memo, under COGAT’s plan, all aid will enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, on approximately 60 trucks daily, and be distributed directly to people. Some 500 trucks entered Gaza every day before the war.
The memo said that facial recognition will be used to identify Palestinians at logistics hubs and text message alerts will notify people in the area that they can collect aid.
The UN said the plan would leave large parts of the population without supplies. It said the plan “appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy.”
Aid groups have said they are opposed to using any armed or uniformed personnel to distribute aid that could potentially intimidate Palestinians or put them at risk, and they fiercely criticised the new plan.
AP
