Israel security cabinet approve plan to take control of Gaza City – wetin e mean?
Wia dis foto come from, Reuters
Israel security cabinet don approve one plan to take control of Gaza City, wia hundreds of thousands of Palestinians dey live, one controversial escalation for di nearly two-year war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bin don earlier tok say im wan take ova all of di Gaza Strip – di approved plan focus specifically on Gaza City, di largest city for di enclave.
Dem take di decision afta “one absolute majority of Cabinet ministers believe say di alternative plan wey dem present give di Cabinet no go achieve di defeat of Hamas or di return of di abductees”, one statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office tok.
Dem don also release “five principles to end di war”, wey include di –
- Return of all hostages, both living and dead;
- Demilitarisation of di Gaza Strip;
- Israeli security control ova di Gaza Strip; plus
- Alternative civilian govment wey no be Hamas or di Palestinian Authority.
Di announcement dey come as Israel dey face growing international pressure, including from dia allies, to end di war for Gaza and allow more aid into di territory.
Israel bin launch dia war for Gaza following Hamas 7 October 2023 attack, wia dem kill about 1,200 pipo and take 251 hostages back to Gaza.
Israel massive military offensive don kill at least 61,000 Palestinians since den, according to Gaza Hamas-run health ministry.
Sake of Israel military operations, di UN estimate say 87% of Gaza don either turn to military zone, or dey subject to evacuation notices.
Hamas react to Israel plan to take ova Gaza city
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
In response to di proposal of taking ova di Gaza Strip, Hamas tok say Netanyahu dey “plan to continue im approach of genocide and displacement by committing more crimes” against Palestinian pipo.
Im actions, “represent clear reversal of di course of negotiations and e clearly reveal di true motives behind im withdrawal from di final round”, one statement tok.
Dem add say dem dey in “close proximity” to one final agreement and di price go dey high for Israel to occupy Gaza.
Hamas also call on Arab and Islamic countries, plus di international community, “to condemn and reject dis dangerous statements, and to take urgent action to halt di aggression and end di occupation”.
Speaking ahead of di security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu tell Fox News say Israel wan take control of di whole Gaza, remove Hamas but no “wan keep dem”.
“We wan liberate ourselves and liberate di pipo of Gaza from di awful terror of Hamas.”
“We wan get security perimeter. We no wan govern am,” e add.
Di military bin oppose plans to fully occupy Gaza, according to media reports. Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, di army chief of staff, reportedly tell Netanyahu for one tense meeting earlier dis week say e dey “tantamount to walking into a trap”.
Which parts of Gaza already dey under Israeli military control?
Israeli PM Netanyahu newly-approved plan aim to see Israeli forces move to take control of Gaza City, for di north of di enclave, for di first time during dis conflict.
Di city na home to one million residents and e dey surrounded by land wey don already dey under Israel Defense Forces (IDF) control or subject to evacuation order.
Israel say e dey control 75% of Gaza, while di UN estimates say like 86% of di territory dey either inside militarised zones or under evacuation orders.
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
Families of Israeli hostages for Gaza and World leaders condemn Israel plans to take control of Gaza City
Di plan to take ova Gaza City don draw strong condemnation from di families of hostages wey dem still hold for di territory. Dem continue to demand immediate end to di war and want negotiated deal.
Earlier, families and supporters of di hostages bin protest for Tel Aviv and outside Benjamin Netanyahu office for Jerusalem as di security cabinet discuss di plans.
Some demonstrators bin chain themselves to each oda and dem warn say di move fit be “death sentence” of dia loved ones.
Polls suggest say majority of di Israeli public favour a deal wit Hamas for di release of di hostages and di end of di war.
Israeli leaders say Hamas, now, no dey interested in negotiation, as for dia eyes, di group dey gada boldness sake of di international pressure wey dey on Israel ova di humanitarian crisis for Gaza.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk tok say “di war in Gaza must end now” and e warn say further escalation” go result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes”.
Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong advice Israel “say make dem no go down dis path”, e add say e go “only worsen di humanitarian catastrophe for Gaza”.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer call Israel escalation “wrong” and “say e go only bring more bloodshed”
Turkey foreign ministry dey urge di international community to prevent Israel plan, e say di decision if dem go ahead na to “forcibly displace Palestinians from dia own land”.
Meanwhile, Finland Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen say she hope for immediate Gaza ceasefire and immediate release of Israeli hostages.
Wetin be Israel security cabinet?
Israel security cabinet, wey also dey known as di Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs, dey responsible for guiding Israel national security and foreign policies.
Na one body wey small pass di full cabinet and besides di prime minister, e must include ministers of defence, foreign affairs, justice, finance and national security.
Di prime minister fit also appoint additional ministers to di body, provided di overall number of members no pass half of di number of ministers for di full cabinet.
Various leaders of parties for di governing coalition plus oda senior lawmakers currently dey di current security cabinet.
Dem currently include far-right leaders National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, wey oppose di Gaza ceasefire deal and dem don threaten to quit sake of am.
Wia dis foto come from, Reuters
Israel bin impose total blockade of aid deliveries for di beginning of March and e resume dia military offensive against Hamas two weeks later, wey collapse two-month ceasefire.
Dem say dem wan put pressure on di group to release dia remaining Israeli hostages.
Although dem later partially relax di blockade afta almost two months sake of warnings of famine from global experts, di shortages of food, medicine and fuel don worse.
Four pipo bin die sake of malnutrition in di last 24 hours, Gaza Hamas-run health ministry tok on Thursday. Dis take di total death toll from malnutrition since di war start go 197, including 96 children.
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