Germany has suspended the delivery of weaponry that could be used in Gaza, as Israel’s security cabinet approved a new ground offensive aimed at taking complete control of Gaza City. The decision, which could displace up to one million Palestinians, has triggered global outrage.
The plan, put forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would entail a further escalation in the 22-month war and lead to more mass displacements. It has yet to be endorsed by the full cabinet, but international calls for restraint have grown. Germany, Israel’s second-biggest arms supplier and strongest European backer, halted arms deliveries that could be used in Gaza on Friday.
Foreign ministers from the UK, Germany, Italy, Australia and New Zealand issued a joint statement on Saturday warning that the plans would worsen the already perilous situation, with the “worst-case scenario” of mass famine unfolding in the territory. They said further large-scale military operations in Gaza would endanger hostages and risk mass civilian displacement.
The proposal has also created a rift between Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) leadership. IDF chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir warned Netanyahu he was “walking into a trap”, but later vowed to carry out the government’s orders. Commercial satellite imagery shows a buildup of Israeli military vehicles on Gaza’s border, suggesting a new ground offensive may be imminent.
The plan lists five objectives: disarming Hamas, returning all hostages, demilitarising Gaza, taking security control, and establishing an alternative civil administration. It would send ground troops into about a quarter of the Gaza Strip, forcing around one million Palestinians in Gaza City into southern evacuation zones, with the evacuation scheduled to be completed by 7 October.
