Hamas Issues New Warning as Israel Approves Gaza City Occupation Plan

What We Know

Israel’s Security Cabinet early Friday approved a significant escalation in its war against Hamas, voting to authorize a military operation to take control of Gaza City. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating the move is part of a broader plan to defeat the militant group.

“The Security Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister’s proposal for defeating Hamas. The IDF will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” the Prime Minister’s Office posted.

The post further detailed five guiding principles adopted by the cabinet:

1. The disarming of Hamas
2. The return of all the hostages – living and deceased
3. The demilitarization of the Gaza Strip
4. Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip
5. The establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, “a decisive majority of Security Cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan that had been submitted would neither achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages.”

Watch my interview with Fox News >>

צפו בראיון שלי לרשת פוקס ניוז >> pic.twitter.com/mNz2ixP2Ox

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) August 8, 2025

What They’re Saying

Hamas has issued a fierce response to Netanyahu’s statements and the cabinet’s decision, accusing the Israeli leader of seeking to use hostages as pawns and warning of grave consequences. “We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), affirm the following: What the war criminal Netanyahu is planning is a continuation of the policy of genocide and displacement,” the group said, as reported by Daily Express US Star.

According to Express US, Hamas further claimed that Netanyahu sabotaged peace talks that were close to yielding a final agreement. The group warned that “expanding the aggression against our Palestinian people will not be a walk in the park, and its cost will be heavy and burdensome.”

The Bigger Picture

The Israeli government’s new plan marks one of the most significant shifts in strategy since the war in Gaza began nearly two years ago. With famine conditions worsening and the civilian death toll rising, the humanitarian consequences of a full-scale operation in Gaza City could be devastating.

There are also mounting concerns over the fate of the remaining 20 living hostages. Many families in Israel fear that this military escalation effectively dooms their loved ones. At the same time, critics within Israel’s security establishment warn that a full occupation would mire Israeli forces in a prolonged conflict and further isolate the country internationally.

The United Nations Human Rights Council and a majority of the Security Council have already labeled aspects of the ongoing conflict as genocidal. Further escalation could trigger diplomatic fallout, sanctions, or international criminal investigations.

The Bottom Line

As Israel prepares to launch a new phase of operations in Gaza, Hamas is vowing to resist and intensify retaliation. The region is on the edge of a broader collapse, with no sign of a durable ceasefire in sight. With international stakeholders urging restraint, the coming days may prove decisive not just for Gaza—but for the future of Middle East stability.

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