UN Chief ‘Alarmed’ Over Israeli Plans to Deepen Gaza Occupation

“I can tell you that the secretary-general is alarmed by these reports of Israeli plans to expand ground operations and prolong its military presence in Gaza,” his spokesperson Farhan Haq told a news conference.

Stressing that Israel’s reported plans “will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza,” he added: “What’s imperative now is an end to the violence, not more civilian deaths and destruction.”

“Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian state,” he said, reiterating Guterres’ call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire as well as the release of all hostages.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Cabinet approved “the operational plan” submitted by army chief Eyal Zamir to “defeat (Palestinian group) Hamas” and for the return of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, Israel’s Security Cabinet unanimously approved a plan to expand its ongoing military onslaught on the Gaza Strip and occupy territories inside the enclave.

According to the statement, the plan requires the army “to conquer Gaza and hold the territory under its control.”

Israeli Channel 12 reported that the plan also includes the forcible relocation of Palestinians from northern Gaza to the south.

More than 52,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.