Live Updates | Israeli Military Prepares to Take Control of Gaza City Amid Global Criticism

Israel’s security cabinet approval of a plan to take control of Gaza City has sent shockwaves through the international community. Hamas says it is ready for a “comprehensive deal” on hostages and a ceasefire but warns of “fierce resistance” against Israel’s move. Residents in Gaza are torn, fearful of further displacement and angry at both Israel’s offensive and Hamas’s failure to release hostages. One Gaza City resident told the BBC, “I don’t know where to go. Where should we go to?” International criticism is strong: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the plan “wrong,” while Germany, Israel’s second-largest arms supplier, has suspended...

Israel’s security cabinet recently held a marathon 10-hour meeting marked by sharp clashes, particularly between Prime Minister Netanyahu and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who opposed the new military plan.

The plan that emerged focuses on a “takeover of Gaza City,” diverging from Netanyahu’s earlier statements about controlling all of Gaza. Though the term “occupation” is avoided, many see it as such.

This move is widely expected to be just the first step in a broader operation, despite opposition from military leaders, public polls, hostage families, and international voices—including key allies like Germany, urging restraint.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that negotiations with Hamas “fell apart” the same day French President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s plan to officially recognize a Palestinian state in September.

Speaking on Global Catholic TV’s The World Over, Rubio said symbolic moves like France’s recognition have made it “harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas.”

Last month, Macron called for an end to the Gaza war and declared France would recognize the State of Palestine, a decision condemned by both the US and Israel.

Sir Richard Dalton, former UK ambassador, told BBC Radio 5 Live he doubts Benjamin Netanyahu will be influenced by European criticism of Israel’s Gaza takeover plans.

He described Europe’s reaction as “shameful,” accusing it of offering “merely mouthed words and some very mild actions, always too little and too late.”

Dalton added that the UK and others “come across as not standing for anything real in the world of international law and human rights.”

He also said the British government is failing to reflect growing public disgust over Israeli policies and the IDF’s brutality.

Gaza City residents face a perilous repeat of the mass southward migration ordered by Israel after the 7 October 2023 attacks — but the situation is far more dangerous now. In 2023, many fled along Salah al-Din road, Gaza’s main north-south artery. Today, that route lies within an IDF-designated “dangerous combat zone.” This leaves the al-Rashid coastal road as the primary path toward the already crowded al-Mawasi area, previously declared a “humanitarian zone” but struck nearly 100 times by January 2025. Travelers must also cross the militarized Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two. With fuel shortages worsening, many may be forced to...

Ahead of the UN Security Council’s emergency meeting, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon challenged other countries on how they would react to an attack and hostage situation like the one Israel faces.

Danon highlighted Hamas’s kidnapping of British and Israeli citizens on 7 October, saying, “If fifty British citizens were being held in Gaza by terrorists today, the British government would not sit idly by either.”

He reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to “fight for the release of all hostages” and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his disappointment with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz following Germany’s decision to suspend military exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s office accused Germany of “rewarding Hamas terrorism” rather than supporting Israel’s war against Hamas.

Between Hamas’s attack in October 2023 and May 2025, Germany approved military equipment exports to Israel worth €485 million (£421 million), according to a parliamentary response in June.

Families of hostages held by Hamas, alongside released survivors, gathered for a Kabbalat Shabbat service outside Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz’s home.

The group, known as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, has regularly held these Friday services since the 7 October attack, leaving empty seats at the tables symbolizing their missing loved ones.

Sharing photos on social media, they demanded the government “listen to the will of the people” and vowed that “until all the hostages return, we will not have a real Shabbat meal.”

Image Source: BBC

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has responded firmly to countries condemning and threatening sanctions over Israel’s Gaza takeover plans.

Posting on X, Katz said criticism “will not weaken our resolve” to defeat Hamas, which he described as an ongoing security threat to Israel.

He declared, “Gone are the days when Jews did not defend themselves,” calling on leaders to make tough decisions. Katz paid tribute to Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza and the families of hostages, martyrs, and the wounded, emphasizing the country’s determination to continue its campaign.

Image Source: BBC

All members of the UN Security Council—except the US and Panama—have requested an emergency meeting following Israel’s announcement to take control of Gaza City.

The urgent session is scheduled for tomorrow at 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT) in New York.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave alarm over the decision, calling it a “dangerous escalation” that risks worsening the already catastrophic situation for millions of Palestinians.

Image Source: BBC

Hamas says it is prepared for a “comprehensive deal” to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and Israeli troop withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister’s office has outlined “principles for ending the war,” agreed upon by the security cabinet, including:

• Disarmament of Hamas

• Return of all hostages, living and dead

• Demilitarisation of Gaza Strip

• Israeli security control over Gaza

• Establishment of an alternative civilian government excluding Hamas and the Palestinian Authority

Hamas has issued a statement responding to Israel’s planned Gaza City takeover, saying it has “offered all flexibility” in mediation efforts and is ready for a “comprehensive deal” to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and Israeli troop withdrawal.

The group warns Israel that any takeover of Gaza City will come at a “heavy price,” a message it has repeatedly stressed.

Talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar have stalled since late July, after Israel and the US accused Hamas of lacking willingness to negotiate, prompting the US team to withdraw.

A UN spokesperson has warned that any expansion of military operations across Gaza “would risk catastrophic consequences.”

Olga Cherevko, based in Deir Al Balah, says Gaza’s entire population is “on the brink of famine” after nearly two years of brutal conflict. She highlights that even UN staff are suffering—some hospitalized from severe exhaustion and others fainting due to lack of food.

Cherevko reiterated the UN’s urgent calls for the release of hostages and a ceasefire.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say 72 aid packages have been air-dropped across Gaza by six countries, including the Netherlands. Since 27 July, over 1,000 packages have been delivered by nine countries, according to the IDF.

The military rejects claims of “deliberate starvation” in Gaza as false.

However, humanitarian agencies caution that air drops alone are insufficient and often land far from those in need. More than 100 international aid organizations and human rights groups have warned of a looming mass starvation crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Image Source: Reuters

US doctor Mark Brauner, recently returned from Gaza, describes the starvation crisis as “catastrophic.” He reports young children becoming delirious and hallucinating, “almost like zombies.”

Babies under six months face severe infections due to undeveloped immune systems, while malnutrition causes their gut linings to “autodigest.” Brauner warns thousands of children may have passed the point of medical help.

The Hamas-run health ministry reports 201 deaths from malnutrition since the war began, including 98 children, but Brauner believes these numbers are underestimated. Many isolated victims remain unaccounted for in Gaza’s tents, he says.

Image Source: BBC

For Gaza City’s estimated one million civilians, the future looks grim. Israel plans to force the entire population south—a process that could take up to two months—accompanied by curfews, evacuation orders, and weary convoys of displaced residents. The international community watches in horror as Israel’s diplomatic isolation deepens. Even longtime allies may begin to question Prime Minister Netanyahu’s aggressive push. Despite setbacks inflicted by Hamas in October 2023, Israel has established itself as a regional superpower after major victories against Hezbollah, Syria’s Assad regime, and Iran. Netanyahu appears emboldened and willing to take significant risks, raising the question: who, if anyone, can...

Abu Mustafa, a Gaza resident, describes evacuation as a harsh ordeal. “You carry your things and leave with nothing,” he tells Palestinian journalists collaborating with the BBC. He accuses Israel of turning evacuation “into a game.”

Mustafa, who owns property and warehouses in Gaza, questions how Israel can simply “take over” his land. He calls it “a crime against all of humanity” to force civilians from their homes.

Despite the pressure, Mustafa says he will remain where he is. “Where would I go?” he asks.

Image Source: BBC

Many displaced Palestinians in Gaza City are bracing for yet another forced move as Israel’s planned takeover nears. Sabrin Naaim, who fled Beit Hanoun and has moved multiple times, says, “I don’t know where to go.”

With limited shelter options, many live in tents under harsh conditions. Maghzouza Saada, also from Beit Hanoun, questions how she can move at her age amid the crisis. “The south is not safe, Gaza City is not safe, and the north is not safe. Where should we go?”

Residents face an agonizing choice with no safe refuge inside Gaza.

Image Source: Reuters