The Israeli Army Approves "Outlines" for the Plan to Occupy Gaza

SadaNews - Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved today, Wednesday, the "outlines" for the plan to occupy the city of Gaza, including an assault on the Zeitoun area south of Gaza City, which began yesterday, Tuesday.

The army spokesperson Avichai Adraee mentioned that the approval came during a meeting that involved leaders from the General Staff and the Shin Bet security service, as well as other commanders. He said that the meeting reviewed what he called the "achievements" of his forces, including the ongoing aggression on the Zeitoun neighborhood.

Adraee added that the Chief of Staff ordered an increase in troop readiness and preparation for the mobilization of reserve forces, alongside conducting field exercises and granting short rest periods for the troops, in preparation for resuming attacks.

Last Friday, the Israeli government approved a gradual plan presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians from the north to the south.

Netanyahu – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing genocide in Gaza – announced yesterday the acceleration of the Gaza occupation plan and affirmed that Israel is approaching the end of the battle, explaining that the forces will advance "relatively quickly" to control the city of Gaza, which he described as the last stronghold of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), while focusing on freeing the hostages held in the sector.

Israeli Dispute

Despite Netanyahu's confirmation that the assault is "very rapid" and that it will lead to Hamas's defeat, some members of the security cabinet believe that the execution of the plan may require more time, amid a division at the decision-making level.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir adopts a cautious tone, calling for the need to grant the occupying soldiers rest periods to maintain combat capability and to commit to preserving the lives of Israeli hostages.

Meanwhile, the military prosecutor has issued a clear warning about the legal implications of occupying large areas of the Gaza Strip, considering that Israel's responsibility to provide basic services to the population will increase significantly, which could lead to broad international pressure.

She emphasized that the occupation of additional areas and the pushing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into a narrow space will increase political and legal pressures on Israel and will affect the legitimacy that some countries granted it to continue its war on the sector.

The prosecutor believes that controlling more than 75% of the territory of the strip will impose on Israel the responsibility for civil administration in those areas, including providing food, water, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Reuters quoted informed sources as saying that "the Israeli military plan may take several weeks and perhaps months to complete, especially with the need to evacuate civilians from combat areas, with expectations that evacuation will continue until next October."

Several Arab and Western countries have condemned Israel's plan to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, considering it a dangerous and rejected escalation and a violation of international law.

With American support, since October 7, 2023, Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, resulting in 61,599 martyrs and 154,088 wounded, most of whom are children and women, more than 9,000 missing, and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons, leading to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.