Israeli Cabinet fully approves Gaza City occupation plan: Defense minister

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli Cabinet approved the Gaza City occupation plan in Thursday’s meeting, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.

“We approved the IDF's (Israeli army) plans to defeat Hamas in Gaza, with intensive fire, evacuation of civilians, and maneuvers,” Katz said through the US social media company X.

“The gates of hell will open upon Hamas,” said Katz, if it doesn’t agree to “Israel’s conditions to end the war, primarily the release of all hostages and disarmament."

“If they do not agree, Gaza (City), the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” he said.

The plan envisions forcing nearly 1 million Palestinians southward, encircling the city, and carrying out ground raids into residential districts.

The Palestinian group Hamas said on Monday that it accepted a proposal by Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a Gaza ceasefire, without providing details about the proposal’s content.