Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza, despite growing criticism at home and abroad. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said, 'We intend to... have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it.' The comments came ahead of a meeting with senior ministers to discuss plans for further territorial control, which would require full cabinet approval.
Israeli media reported that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Netanyahu that the lives of hostages in Gaza would be endangered by an occupation plan. According to Channel 12, Zamir said, 'There is no way to guarantee that we will not be harmed by them. Our forces are worn out, the military equipment needs maintenance, and there are humanitarian and sanitary problems.'
On Thursday, 42 people were killed in Gaza, including at least 13 seeking aid in an Israeli military zone in the south. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid group, denied accusations from Médecins Sans Frontières that its food distribution sites had become sites of 'orchestrated killing and dehumanisation', calling the claims 'false and disgraceful'.
Notable figures including Zadie Smith, Michael Rosen, and Irvine Welsh have signed a letter calling for an 'immediate and complete' boycott of Israel until adequate aid reaches Gaza. Human Rights Watch also urged governments to suspend arms transfers to Israel after investigations into deadly airstrikes on schools found no evidence of military targets.
