Israel's Plan To Occupy Gaza Reportedly Begins With The Evacuation Of Gaza City, Where Almost 1 Million People Live

Israel's plan to occupy Gaza is reportedly set to begin with the evacuation of Gaza City, where almost 1 million people leave.

According to Israeli outlet Channel 12 reported Amit Segal, the plan will be presented to the security cabinet for approval on Thursday. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is believed to heavily favor occupying the enclave.

Segal detailed that the evacuation notice for Gaza City will lead to weeks of preparations where there won't be any fighting to allow for the building of infrastructure. At the same time President Donald Trump is expected to give a speech announcing the increase of aid into Gaza, expanding distribution centers from four to 16.

The journalist analyzed that the move could be aimed at reaching one of two outcomes: an agreement with the military brass that doesn't involve the full occupation of the strip, considering Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is reportedly against the scenario; or a scenario that leads to a ceasefire agreement.

49 hostages are still in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Several local outlets have confirmed the decision to occupy the enclave, escalating the conflict even further. The development comes after negotiations to achieve a ceasefire collapsed yet again in July.

Reuters noted that U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last Saturday that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan to effectively end the war in the enclave.

The outlet quoted another senior Israeli official who said that after the meeting "an understanding was emerging between Washington and Israel" on a need to shift from a partial deal to one that would "release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip."

The Netanyahu government could move forward despite warnings from almost 20 former senior security officials, who on Sunday issued a joint video calling for the war to end. They argued that Israel has lost more than it won and that the fighting has continued for political reasons rather than military ones.