The Israeli political-security cabinet has approved Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza City.
Soon after, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed the Gaza City takeover plan as a “disaster” and “exactly what Hamas wanted”. He also blamed far-right ministers for pushing Netanyahu into defying military advice.
Netanyahu’s office said in a social media post early on Friday that “the IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones”.
Netanyahu earlier told Fox News that he intended for Israel to occupy all of Gaza in a significant expansion of the war on the besieged Palestinian territory.
He also said he would pass responsibility for governing the enclave to Arab forces.
In response, Hamas said Netanyahu’s remarks “confirm that he seeks to get rid of his prisoners and sacrifice them to serve his personal interests and extremist ideological agendas”.
The Palestinian group warned that any expansion would “not be a walk in the park, and the price will be heavy and costly for the occupation”.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the decision to “further escalate its offensive”, adding it “only brings more bloodshed”.
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Key Points
- Starmer: Israeli escalation in Gaza ‘will only bring more bloodshed’
- What to know about Israel's plan to retake Gaza City
- Netanyahu says he wants Israel to take control of Gaza
- Hamas accuses Netanyahu of invoking a 'coup'
- Security cabinet to meet and discuss Gaza occupation
96 children among nearly 200 killed by starvation in Gaza
08:39
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Gaza health authorities report that nearly 200 people, including 96 children, have died from hunger as Israel’s blockade creates what they call a man-made famine.
With food access limited to dangerous airdrops and chaotic aid hubs, hospitals continue to register deaths from starvation and malnutrition, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.
On Thursday alone, four more people, including two children, died, bringing the total to 197.
The WHO warns that around 12,000 children under five in Gaza suffered from acute malnutrition in July, the highest number ever recorded.
Conservative party chair says Israel ‘is fighting for its life’
08:38
,
Kate Devlin
Conservative Party chair Kevin Hollinrake has echoed Keir Starmer to say his party does not want to see an escalation of the war in Gaza.
But he added that “people need to remember there are still 50 hostages still captive in Gaza held by Hamas.”
“Israel is fighting for its life,” he told Sky News.
He also hit out at Sir Keir’s plans to recognise Palestine next month if there is no ceasefire, saying: “Any kind of unconditional ceasefire or recognition of a Palestinian state has got to be wrong at this time, this has got to be a deal that makes Hamas put down its arms, I've not seen any proposal on the table that will do that.”
Analysis | Netanyahu believes he must escalate the war to avoid his own cold reckoning – so Israel will try to occupy Gaza next
08:34
,
Jabed Ahmed
Our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes:
When is an occupation not an occupation? When Benjamin Netanyahu orders it.
Netanyahu has agreed with his cabinet to send the Israel Defence Force into a full-scale operation against Hamas in Gaza City that he wants to lead to taking over the whole enclave – but not actually occupying it.
What happens next is an obvious question and it will be a long wait for the answer – Israel doesn’t even admit it’s an occupation force on the West Bank, which it captured in 1967.
The immediate Israeli objection to a new campaign in Gaza is that it will risk the lives of the hostages that remain held there.
Read the full analysis below:
Families accuse Israeli government of ‘abandoning hostages’
08:29
,
Jabed Ahmed
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has accused the Israeli government of abandoning captives held in Gaza.
The group said the decision to pursue further escalation ignores repeated warnings from military officials and “the clear will of the majority of the Israeli public”.
“By choosing military escalation over negotiation, we are leaving our loved ones at the mercy of Hamas,” the forum said. “They don’t have any time left. We can’t leave them in the hands of these monsters any longer.”
They warned that deepening the offensive risked a “colossal catastrophe” for both the remaining hostages and Israeli soldiers.
“The cabinet chose last night to embark on another march of recklessness,” it added.
The group, which represents the families of those still missing, reiterated its demand for a comprehensive deal to secure the release of hostages.
“No more futile war. We will not stand by. We demand a comprehensive deal now.”
Watch | Families of Israeli hostages protest Netanyahu plan to occupy Gaza
08:18
,
Jabed Ahmed
Starmer: Israeli escalation in Gaza ‘will only bring more bloodshed’
08:09
,
Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer said the Israeli government’s decision to “further escalate its offensive” in Gaza will “only bring more bloodshed”.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said: “The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately.
“This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.
“Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions.
“What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution.
“Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm.
“Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis.
“But without both sides engaging in good faith in negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes.
“Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction.”
Israeli opposition criticises Netanyahu's decision to seize Gaza City
08:00
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has sharply criticised the government’s decision to seize Gaza City, calling it “a disaster” that plays directly into Hamas’s hands.
He accused far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich of pressuring prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a move that contradicts the advice of military and security officials.
In a post on X, Lapid wrote: “The cabinet’s decision tonight is a disaster that will lead to many more disasters.
“In complete contradiction to the opinion of the military and security ranks, without considering the erosion and exhaustion of the fighting forces, Ben Gvir and Smotrich dragged Netanyahu into a move that will take months, lead to the death of the hostages, the killing of many soldiers, cost tens of billions to the Israeli taxpayer, and lead to a political collapse.
“This is exactly what Hamas wanted: for Israel to be trapped in the field without a goal, without defining the picture of the day after, in a useless occupation that no one understands where it is leading.”
The uninhabited island being converted into a Gaza medical facility
07:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Indonesia is set to convert a medical facility on its uninhabited Galang Island to treat about 2,000 wounded residents of Gaza, a presidential spokesperson announced on Thursday.
The Muslim-majority nation has previously sent humanitarian aid to Gaza after Israel started an offensive in October 2023 that Gaza health officials say has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, whether fighters or non-combatants.
"Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris," spokesperson Hasan Nasbi told reporters, adding that the exercise was not an evacuation.
Indonesia plans to allocate the facility on Galang island, off its island of Sumatra and south of Singapore, to treat wounded Gaza residents and temporarily shelter their families, he said, adding that nobody lives around it now.
The patients would be taken back to Gaza after they had healed, he said.
Read more here:
Gaza from above: Chilling aerial footage shows devastation of enclave
07:00
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
After 22 months of intense bombardment from Israel and the war with militant group Hamas, Gaza now resembles the bottom of a fire pit.
According to the UN, 92 per cent of homes in Gaza are either destroyed or damaged, and the destruction is so widespread that it could take 21 years to rebuild if the conflict stops.
Ceasefire talks have collapsed, and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly favouring a complete military takeover of Gaza, starting with the widening of the current already devastating offensive on the destroyed strip.
Rare aerial footage shows the extent of the devastation in Gaza, with tents stretching out towards the horizon as far as the eye can see.
Suspect in killings of Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crime charges
06:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
The man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. outside a Jewish museum has been indicted on federal hate crimes charges, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.
Elias Rodriguez is accused of gunning down Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the museum in May. He was heard shouting “Free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest. He told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” federal authorities have said.
Lischinsky, a 30-year-old diplomat, was just days away from proposing to 26-year-old Milgrim, a colleague at the embassy who grew up in Kansas, before the killings.
The indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, charges Rodriguez with nine counts, including a hate crime resulting in death. The indictment also includes notice of special findings, which would allow the Justice Department to potentially pursue the death penalty.
Read more here:
What to know about Israel's plan to retake Gaza City
06:00
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Israel announced early Friday that it plans to take over Gaza City, the largest urban area in the territory and one that has already suffered extensive devastation in repeated Israeli raids.
Another major ground operation in one of the few areas of Gaza not already under evacuation orders would likely spark even more mass displacement and further disrupt efforts to deliver desperately needed food in the territory, where experts have warned that famine is unfolding.
Israel has faced mounting calls from many of its closest allies to end the war, and the plan faces opposition within Israel from families of the remaining 20 or so living hostages held by Hamas and members of the security establishment who say there is little to gain militarily at this point.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says more military pressure is needed to achieve Israel's goals of returning the hostages and destroying Hamas.
Read the story here:
Israeli media suggests a rift between Netanyahu and IDF chief
05:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Israeli media reports suggest a rift between prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir over the Gaza strategy.
While Netanyahu’s office announced plans to take over Gaza City, it rejected an alternative proposal, believed to be Zamir’s, which warned that full occupation could entangle Israel in a prolonged insurgency, increase humanitarian burdens, and endanger hostages, according to The Guardian.
Indonesia to treat 2,000 wounded Palestinians on uninhabited island
05:02
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Indonesia plans to convert a medical facility on uninhabited Galang Island into a treatment and temporary shelter centre for around 2,000 wounded Palestinians from Gaza, according to the president’s spokesperson.
“Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris,” the spokesperson, Hasan Nasbi, said on Thursday.
The patients would be returned to Gaza after recovery, though details on logistics remain unclear.
Israel's security cabinet approves Netanyahu proposal to occupy Gaza City
04:17
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Israel’s security cabinet has approved prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to occupy Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
Netanyahu’s office wrote on X: “The Political-Security Cabinet approved the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas.
“The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”
Watch: An Israeli flag displaying photos of the hostages being held up outside the Cabinet meeting
03:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Recap: Trump says decision whether to occupy Gaza is ‘up to Israel’
02:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Watch: The human toll of Israel’s pager attack
01:00
,
Bryony Gooch
‘Apocalyptic’ pictures of Gaza’s devastation echo the destruction of the Hiroshima bomb 80 years on
Friday 8 August 2025 00:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Recap: How much of Gaza does the Israeli military actually control?
Thursday 7 August 2025 23:00
,
Bryony Gooch
The Israeli military says it controls about 75 per cent of Gaza, as prime minster Benjamin Netanyahu pushes for a full military occupation of the Strip.
Most of Gaza's population of about 2 million has been displaced multiple times over the past 22 months and aid groups are warning that the enclave's residents are on the verge of famine.
Some far-right allies in his government have long advocated a full occupation of Gaza and for Israel to re-establish settlements there, two decades after it withdrew.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told reporters Wednesday that he hoped the government would approve the military taking control over the rest of Gaza.
Watch: An Israeli flag displaying photos of the hostages being held up outside the Cabinet meeting
Thursday 7 August 2025 22:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Pictured: The sun setting over Gaza
Thursday 7 August 2025 21:45
,
Bryony Gooch
12,000 children under five in Gaza suffering acute malnutrition - WHO
Thursday 7 August 2025 21:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Around 12,000 children aged under five in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition, and hunger-related deaths are rising, the Director General of the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
"In July, nearly 12,000 children under five years were identified as having acute malnutrition in Gaza, the highest monthly figure ever recorded," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at his organisation's headquarters in Geneva.
At least 99 people have died, including 64 adults and 35 children, of whom 29 were younger than five, from the start of this year to July 29.
Between June and July, the number of admissions for malnutrition almost doubled - from 6,344 to 11,877 - according to the latest UNICEF figures available.
Some 2,500 of those children are suffering from severe malnutrition.
Recap: Just 1.5 per cent of Gaza’s agricultural land remains accessible and undamaged, says UN
Thursday 7 August 2025 21:15
,
Bryony Gooch
A UN report from Wednesday shows that just 8.6 percent of cropland in Gaza is still accessible, while only 1.5 per cent of cropland is both accessible and undamaged, as of 28 July.
More than 86 per cent of cropland is damaged, while 12.4 per cent is undamaged but out of reach, as fighting between Israeli forces and militants from Hamas and other armed groups continues.
This report comes as Israel’s offensive inside Gaza continues to control aid distribution, and starvation-related deaths rise.
The local Ministry of Health reported five new malnutrition-related deaths in the past 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing the total to almost 200 starvation-related deaths, half of them children.
Watch: Netanyahu says Israel will take control of all of Gaza
Thursday 7 August 2025 21:00
,
Bryony Gooch
US to see Hezbollah disbanded by year's end - Reuters
Thursday 7 August 2025 20:50
,
Bryony Gooch
The United States has presented Lebanon with a proposal for disarming Hezbollah by the end of the year, along with ending Israel's military operations in the country and the withdrawal of its troops from five positions in south Lebanon, according to a copy of a Lebanese cabinet agenda reviewed by Reuters.
The plan, submitted by U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, and being discussed at a Lebanese cabinet meeting on Thursday, sets out the most detailed steps yet for disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since last year's devastating war with Israel.
In pictures: Protesters in Tel Aviv after Netanyahu Gaza comments
Thursday 7 August 2025 20:41
,
Bryony Gooch
Arabs 'will only support what Palestinians agree on' says Jordanian official
Thursday 7 August 2025 20:30
,
Bryony Gooch
A Jordanian official has said that Arabs "will only support what Palestinians agree and decide on" after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel wanted to hand over Gaza to Arab forces that would govern it.
"Security in Gaza must be done through legitimate Palestinian institutions," the source said.
Netanyahu did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.
The Israeli leader made the comments to Fox News shortly before a meeting he was due to have on Thursday with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza
"Arabs will not be agreeing to Netanyahu's policies nor clean his mess," the Jordanian official said in the first reaction by a main Arab neighbour to Netanyahu's comments.
The uninhabited island being converted into a Gaza medical facility
Thursday 7 August 2025 20:20
,
Bryony Gooch
'Netanyahu occupation statements intended to tank ceasefire deal' says Palestinian deputy foreign minister
Thursday 7 August 2025 20:11
,
Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent
Omar Awadallah, the Palestinian deputy foreign minister, has told The Independent he believes that Netanyahu’s statements were intended to tank any ceasefire deal and that true security for Israelis and Palestinians can only come through peace not more conflict.
“Netanyahu saying this is an attempt to undermine any effort for a real ceasefire in the Gaza Strip - he is using this smoke screen of controlling all of Gaza while Israel is all ready the occupying power,” he said.
“We believe that security comes with peace, not with not reoccupying Gaza or committing genocide against the palestinian people or violating international law.”“Security comes with peace, with stability, with what the international community is willing to do to achieve that.”
Hamas to treat any governing force as 'occupiers linked to Israel'
Thursday 7 August 2025 20:05
,
Bryony Gooch
Hamas officials have said that the group will treat any force formed to govern Gaza according to Netanyahu's remarks as an 'occupying' force linked to Israel, according to Al Jazeera Mubasher.
This comes as the group issued a statement warning that any occupation plans would pay a heavy price.
Recap watch: Trump responds to questions about whether he would support an Israeli occupation of Gaza
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:50
,
Bryony Gooch
Recap: IDF chief opposes Netanyahu plans to seize Gaza amid fears Israeli hostages and troops will die
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:39
,
Bryony Gooch
Exclusive: Israeli sources tell The Independent of the desperate campaign to halt Netanyahu’s Gaza war expansion plan – and say it will only put Israeli troops and hostages at risk.
Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew and Alex Croft report here:
Hostages' families protest outside cabinet meeting
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:31
,
Jane Dalton
Families of hostages and released hostages, alongside hundreds of supporters, are protesting outside the Israeli cabinet session in Jerusalem.
The families chained themselves in front of government offices.
Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest, said: “For a year and ten months we’ve been trying to believe that everything is being done to bring them back - you have failed.
“Now it’s necessary to do the one thing the government hasn’t yet done - put a comprehensive deal on the table that will bring them all home together.
“Exactly a year ago, we were told that military pressure would bring them home - a few weeks after that, six hostages were murdered in tunnels.”
‘Apocalyptic’ pictures of Gaza’s devastation echo the destruction of the Hiroshima bomb 80 years on
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:27
,
Bryony Gooch
As shocking new images of Gaza’s flattened landscape smothered in ash and dust emerge, the world is pausing to remember another conflict that produced widespread devastation: the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Palestinians have been represented for the first time at a memorial for the bomb dropped on Japan, amid warnings the world has not learned the lessons from 80 years ago. Alex Croft reports.
Read more here:
How much of Gaza does the Israeli military actually control?
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:22
,
Bryony Gooch
The Israeli military says it controls about 75 per cent of Gaza.
Most of Gaza's population of about 2 million has been displaced multiple times over the past 22 months and aid groups are warning that the enclave's residents are on the verge of famine.
Some far-right allies in his government have long advocated a full occupation of Gaza and for Israel to re-establish settlements there, two decades after it withdrew.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told reporters Wednesday that he hoped the government would approve the military taking control over the rest of Gaza.
Mapped: Which countries recognise Palestine as a state?
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:14
,
Bryony Gooch
Netherlands rules out recognising Palestinian state for now
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:08
,
Bryony Gooch
The Dutch government has said it has ruled out recognising a Palestinian state for now despite growing public concern over Gaza but said Israel's actions in the war-ravaged territory were eroding its own security.
The Netherlands' stance is in contrast to that of some NATO allies, most notably France, which has said it will recognise Palestinian statehood in September. Britain has also said it will do so unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in Gaza, where starvation is spreading, and agrees a ceasefire.
"The Netherlands is not planning to recognise a Palestinian state at this time," Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told an emergency parliamentary debate on Gaza after lawmakers were recalled from their summer vacation.
Veldkamp also rejected calls to halt arms imports from Israel, saying the Netherlands prioritised domestic and EU procurement before sourcing from third countries.
However, he said the Netherlands had already taken "significant steps" including travel bans on two Israeli ministers, adding: "This war has ceased to be a just war and is now leading to the erosion of Israel's own security and identity."
Hamas warns occupation plans 'will not be a walk in the park'
Thursday 7 August 2025 19:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Hamas has released a statement in response to Israeli prime minister Netanyahu’s plans to expand military action.
“Netanyahu’s plans to expand the aggression confirm that he seeks to get rid of his prisoners and sacrifice them to serve his personal interests and extremist ideological agendas.
“We affirm that Gaza will remain resistant to the occupation and attempts to impose guardianship over it.”
The organisation warned that expanding the aggression “will not be a walk in the park, and the price will be heavy and costly for the occupation…”
11 per cent of gunshot injuries were to head and neck following GHF distribution site incidents - MSF
Thursday 7 August 2025 18:45
,
Bryony Gooch
As part of Medecins Sans Frontier’s latest report into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, they revealed the patterns of gunshot wounds entering their clinics following distribution incidents.
An initial analysis of the gunshot wounds among patients arriving at the Al-Mawasi clinic found that 11 per cent of the gunshot injuries were to the head and neck, while 19 per cent were to areas covering the chest, abdomen, and back.
By contrast, people arriving from the Khan Younis Distribution Centre were far more likely to arrive with gunshot wounds to the lower limbs.
“The distinct patterns and anatomical precision of these injuries strongly suggests the intentional targeting of people within and around the distribution sites, rather than accidental or indiscriminate fire,” the report read.
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites 'morphed into a laboratory of cruelty' - MSF
Thursday 7 August 2025 18:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) have said that Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites are “orchestrated killing and dehumanisation”
Raquel Ayora, MSF General Director for MSF Spain, said there had been “children shot in the chest while reaching for food. People crushed or suffocated in stampedes. Entire crowds gunned down at distribution points.”
“In MSF’s nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.”
“The GHF distribution sites masquerading as ‘aid’ have morphed into a laboratory of cruelty,” said Ayora. “This must stop now.”
Hamas accuses Netanyahu of invoking a 'coup'
Thursday 7 August 2025 18:25
,
Bryony Gooch
Hamas has responded to Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks over military expansion as the Israeli prime minister attends a security meeting to discuss seizing control of Gaza.
Hamas said that the prime minister’s remarks constituted “a coup” on Gaza’s ceasefire negotiation track.
They added it show his aims to get rid of hostages and sacrifice them to serve his personal interests.
Questions remain over which Arab forces will govern Gaza
Thursday 7 August 2025 18:20
,
Bryony Gooch
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Fox News that Israel plans on handing governing duties of Gaza to Arab forces, although it remains unclear which forces would take up the mantle.
Netanyahu said prior to his security cabinet meeting that Gaza should be governed by a “civil authority that is not Israel”.
Netanyahu claims Israel will take control of Gaza to ‘liberate’ people from Hamas
Thursday 7 August 2025 18:17
,
Bryony Gooch
In his latest interview with Fox News, Netanyahu has said that Israel intends for its military takeover to liberate Gaza from Hamas.
“We want to hand [Gaza] over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.
“That’s not possible with Hamas. The only way that you can have a different future is to get rid of this Neo-Nazi army. Hamas are monsters.”