Israeli Cabinet Approves Gradual Plan to Occupy Gaza Strip and Defines Principles for Ending the War

SadaNews Translation - The Israeli security cabinet approved a gradual plan to occupy the Gaza Strip early Friday morning.

According to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, as translated by SadaNews, the plan aims to defeat Hamas.

According to Israeli Channel Kan, the Israeli army will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to civilians outside the Gaza Strip.

The cabinet adopted, by majority vote, five principles to end the war, which include disarming Hamas, repatriating all living Israeli hostages and their bodies, fully disarming the Gaza Strip, establishing Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, and having an alternative civilian administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.

According to the channel, the plan will be implemented gradually, as some ministers during the 10-hour session felt it was extending too long.

It was indicated that the plan aims to evacuate all residents of Gaza City toward camps in the central strip by October 7, 2025, at which point a siege will be imposed on Gaza City, and military forces will maneuver within it.

At the end of the session, the cabinet authorized Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Israel Katz to approve the army's operational plans.

According to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, during the 10-hour cabinet meeting, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir faced ministers as well as Netanyahu several times, and there were instances of shouting among them, as translated by SadaNews.

Zamir suggested removing the item to repatriate hostages from the plan’s objectives because he believes that under the current plan, they will not be returned safely, emphasizing that evacuating a million Palestinians from Gaza City would have significant effects and ramifications.

Netanyahu refused to include an explicit clause stipulating that fighting would cease if progress was made in negotiations with Hamas, but he confirmed that fighting would stop if Hamas agreed to Israel's conditions.

The newspaper confirmed that there is, in fact, a decision within the cabinet that if there is progress in negotiations, operations will automatically cease.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich opposed this step due to the lack of a clause preventing a ceasefire even if an agreement was reached, while Ben Gvir opposed continuing to allow aid into the territory.

During the discussions, it was affirmed multiple times that there is a green light from the U.S. to occupy the strip.