Gaza - Jerusalem: Europe and the Arabs
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Sunday with US President Donald Trump regarding Israel's new plans to take control of Gaza.
The statement added: "The two sides discussed Israel's plans to take control of the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza and end the war by securing the release of the captives and defeating Hamas."
According to the statement, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his unwavering support for Israel since the beginning of the war.
Netanyahu's Plan
Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu said discussions were underway to find "innovative ways" to release the remaining hostages, while the army continued its operations against Hamas. He added that the movement "still has thousands of militants in Gaza and has vowed to repeat the October 7 attack," considering that Israel "has no choice but to complete the mission and defeat Hamas."
During a press conference in Jerusalem, he explained that the new military operation targets two major Hamas strongholds, one of which is in Gaza City. He expected the campaign to end "relatively quickly," stressing that "the plan approved by the security cabinet to take control of Gaza City represents the best way to end the war." Netanyahu stressed that Israel will continue the war in Gaza until it "wins," and is prepared to do so even "without the support of any party."
Hamas previously considered the plan approved by the Israeli cabinet to seize control of Gaza City a "full-fledged war crime" that threatens the lives of nearly one million people in the Strip.
The movement's statement said that the decision constitutes a continuation of what it described as a policy of "genocide, forced displacement, and brutal practices that amount to ethnic cleansing," warning that this "criminal adventure" will cost Israel "a heavy price" and will not be a "picnic."
The statement added that the decision to occupy Gaza proves, according to the movement, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government "do not care about the fate of their prisoners," noting that expanding military operations means "sacrificing them."
The Israeli Political and Security Cabinet approved Netanyahu's plan to seize control of Gaza City on Friday morning, amid Israel's expansion of its military operations despite mounting domestic and foreign criticism of the war that has lasted nearly two years. Netanyahu's office said in a statement: "The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside combat zones."
The statement did not use the term "occupation," but rather "seizure," due to the legal repercussions for the civilian population, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
Five Key Points
The cabinet approved by a majority vote the five principles for ending the war, according to the statement: disarming Hamas, returning all prisoners, living and dead, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, and establishing an alternative civil administration that is not subordinate to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
The statement stated that the overwhelming majority of cabinet ministers confirmed that the alternative plan presented to the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas or the return of the prisoners.
The American website Axios quoted an Israeli official as saying that the plan includes evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a ground offensive. Axios reported that during the cabinet meeting, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed Netanyahu's proposal, arguing that such an operation would endanger the lives of the hostages and could lead to Israeli military rule in Gaza with full responsibility for two million Palestinians. According to the Jerusalem Post, Zamir reiterated his objections to the plan, saying, "There is no humanitarian response to the one million people we will transfer. Everything will be complicated. I suggest that you distance the return of the hostages from military targets." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded to Zamir, saying, "Stop talking to the media. We want a decision. We are all concerned about the hostages, but also about the soldiers who are demanding victory."
More Buildup Near Gaza
Commercial satellite images show the Israeli military amassing troops and equipment near the Israel-Gaza border, according to three current and former US officials who viewed the footage, NBC News reported Friday.
The sources said these movements and military formations indicate "an imminent major ground operation."

The plan, proposed by Netanyahu and discussed during the meeting held Thursday and Friday nights, includes encircling Gaza City and transferring approximately one million residents to the southern part of the Strip. The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the meeting lasted approximately ten hours. According to the Brussels-based Euronews website, a senior Israeli official subsequently told the Jerusalem Post that the army would "target terrorist strongholds in the city," with operations later expanding to the main refugee camps.
The operation is expected to take at least six months. An official told the newspaper that Netanyahu is "determined that this is the only way to defeat Hamas."

Reflecting on the Past
Full control of the Strip would reverse a decision Israel made in 2005, under which it withdrew Israeli citizens and soldiers from Gaza, while retaining control over its borders, airspace, and facilities. Earlier this year, Israel and the United States rejected an Egyptian proposal, backed by Arab leaders, to establish an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza after the war.
Public opinion polls show that most Israelis want to end the war with a deal that would release the remaining hostages.
The Netanyahu government has insisted on a complete victory over Hamas, which sparked the war when it launched a deadly attack on Israel from Gaza in October 2023.
The United Nations has described reports of a possible expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza as "deeply disturbing" if true.
Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, and Israeli officials believe 20 are alive. Most of those released so far have been released as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Ceasefire talks, which could have seen the release of more hostages, collapsed last July.