Total control: Israel has decided to occupy Gaza

The Israeli Security Cabinet has decided to occupy Gaza City. The plan was approved after about ten hours of consultations. Such a development may be the first step towards the complete occupation of the Gaza Strip — the operation in the city will lead to the displacement of 1 million civilians and will take several months. The Palestinians have asked Trump to intervene in the situation, but the US president does not object to the expansion of the Israeli operation in the sector. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Preparing for the decisive blow

"The IDF will prepare to establish control over the city of Gaza, while providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the war zones," said Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the office of the Israeli Prime Minister.

The Israeli government has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to control the Gaza Strip and defeat the Palestinian Hamas movement, according to a press release from the Prime Minister's office.

The document notes that West Jerusalem will provide humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the war zone. The publication notes that the adopted plan for ending the conflict includes several stages, including: the disarmament of Hamas, the return of hostages and bodies of the dead, the demilitarization of the sector, the establishment of security in it, and the formation of an alternative civilian government not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian authorities.

At the same time, according to sources in The Washington Post, the IDF leadership opposed the occupation of Gaza. In particular, the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, insisted only on attacking the city and besieging it in order to put pressure on the Palestinian group. In his opinion, the intensification of hostilities will endanger the lives of the hostages, cause losses in the army and drag Israel into an endless conflict.

Trump doesn't mind

Benjamin Netanyahu announced the need to seize the territory of Gaza on August 7. In his opinion, this is necessary in order to guarantee Israel's security, oust Hamas from the region and transfer control to civilian authorities.

At the same time, the head of state had previously stated that he was not going to annex the territory after the end of the war with Hamas and wanted to transfer control of the region to an interim governing body, representatives of the "Arab forces." The politician stressed that West Jerusalem seeks to achieve the destruction of Hamas and the return of hostages.

It is believed that 50 people remain in the group's hands, and 20 of them are alive. In Gaza, according to Netanyahu, after the end of the war, they plan to create a "security perimeter" so that the region does not pose a threat to Israel.

According to an Axios source, the government approved the plan for the occupation of the region after ten hours of consultations, and this, in turn, may be the first step towards the complete occupation of the sector. The publication notes that the operation could lead to the displacement of 1 million civilians and will take several months. At the same time, official Israeli documents do not refer to occupation, but to "control." "However, it is this [occupation] that is meant," the publication says.

Palestine has called on US President Donald Trump to intervene in the situation. However, the American leader, according to Axios, did not object to the expansion of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip. The decision of the American head of state was influenced by recent videos depicting two emaciated Israeli hostages in the hands of Hamas. The footage shows 24-year-old Evyatar David and 21-year-old Rom Braslavsky, driven to complete exhaustion.

What do the experts think

Andrey Ontikov, an orientalist and author of the Telegram channel Eastern Gate, noted in an interview with Izvestia that the Israeli plan would not lead to any qualitative change in the situation.

— We cannot say that the humanitarian situation will improve, because there is a humanitarian catastrophe there. We have also seen waves of migration during the conflict, so the population from Gaza will largely be forced to move south again. There won't be much new here either," the expert states.

According to the political scientist, the question arises: why did the Israeli authorities make such a decision?

— It seems that in order to fight Hamas, the occupation of the entire Gaza Strip will eliminate the Palestinian movement, but in fact, of course, it's not about the group itself, but about the fact that the level of hatred of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip towards Israelis is off the charts for obvious reasons, and, in general, something they risk encountering. and Israeli soldiers are already facing it — just internal resistance, guerrilla activity on the part of the population," the specialist explained.

He stressed that it does not matter whether these people are members of Hamas, sympathize with the group or not.

— The political purpose of the plan for the occupation of the Gaza Strip is quite specific and defined. This kind of fighting, the very implementation of this plan, will take weeks, and maybe months. And while the war is going on, Netanyahu may still be in the prime minister's chair. It is more about keeping him in power, so that his ruling coalition does not fall apart and a deep political crisis in Israel does not begin — that is the primary goal. And the military goals that are designated as the goal of combating Hamas are all insignificant rhetoric," the analyst stressed.

Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip will negatively affect the credibility of the United Nations, political analyst Dmitry Brije told Izvestia. In his opinion, "Israel's decision not only negates any current or future initiatives for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but also creates an extremely dangerous precedent in which the unilateral use of force and the subsequent occupation of territory becomes an acceptable policy tool."

— It will also hurt the credibility of international organizations, including the United Nations, whose resolutions and mechanisms are once again powerless in the face of the group's reality. In addition, any negotiations between the Palestinian parties and Israel after the occupation will be perceived as a betrayal. No Palestinian side will be able to start a dialogue without losing the trust of its people," the political scientist noted.

He also drew attention to possible scenarios for the further development of the situation, including the possibility of transferring control over the Gaza Strip to Arab countries such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. At the same time, he warned against possible risks, noting that even Arab regimes that had previously normalized relations with Israel could face a sharp increase in pressure from their own populations.

— International humanitarian organizations, including the Red Cross and the UN agency, are likely to be limited in delivering aid. They will be under the full control of the Israeli authorities if the territory is occupied. As a result, mass famine, epidemics and deaths of civilians will become inevitable. All this will lead to increased global unrest, including in the West," the expert explained.

Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the Australian National University, believes that "despite all the claims that Israel is a democracy that respects international law and the rules of war, its international reputation is under threat."

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest plan for the complete military takeover of Gaza, along with the growing crisis caused by famine in the strip and repressive measures in the West Bank, underscore Israel's plight. Despite the support of the United States, the state is facing a crisis of international authority, from which it may not be able to recover for a long time," the political scientist believes.

He stressed that according to a recent Pew poll, international opinion about Israel is now more negative than positive.

"At the beginning of 2025, the majority of respondents in countries such as the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Australia, Turkey and Sweden said they had a negative attitude towards Israel. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity," the expert noted.

The expert added that traditional supporters of Israel also sharply criticized the actions of the Netanyahu government both inside and outside the country.

"Among them are former Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak. In addition, hundreds of retired Israeli security officials have appealed to US President Donald Trump to put pressure on Netanyahu and end the war," the analyst concluded.