LONDON — On the heels of Israel’s safety cupboard approving plans to occupy Gaza Metropolis, the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, mentioned “this additional escalation will lead to extra killing, extra insufferable struggling, mindless destruction,” in keeping with a press release launched Friday morning.
Turk known as for the offensive to be “instantly halted.”
“The Israeli Authorities’s plan for a whole army takeover of the occupied Gaza strip should be instantly halted,” Turk mentioned. “It runs opposite to the ruling of the Worldwide Court docket of Justice that Israel should carry its occupation to an finish as quickly as doable, to the realisation of the agreed two-State resolution and to the appropriate of Palestinians to self-determination.”
A Palestinian boy carries a stroller on the web site of a morning Israeli strike on a home, in Gaza Metropolis, Aug. 8, 2025.
Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
European Union Council President Antonio Costa strongly urged the Israeli authorities to rethink its determination to take over Gaza Metropolis, saying it’s going to solely worsen the scenario in Gaza.
“Such an operation — along with the continued unlawful enlargement of settlements within the West Financial institution, the huge destruction in Gaza, the blockade of humanitarian support, and the unfold of famine — not solely violates the settlement with the EU introduced by the Excessive Consultant on July 19 but in addition undermines elementary rules of worldwide regulation and common values,” Costa mentioned in a post on social media.
“Such a choice will need to have penalties for EU-Israel relations,” he mentioned.
“The scenario in Gaza stays dramatic, and the choice by the Israeli authorities will solely additional worsen it. The 2-state resolution stays the one sustainable, long-term resolution for peace and safety in Israel and the area,” Costa mentioned.
Germany, certainly one of Israel’s closest allies, introduced Friday it’s going to droop the exports of arms to Israel that might be used within the Gaza Strip “till additional discover.” Germany mentioned the “launch of hostages and purposeful negotiations on a ceasefire are our high precedence.”
“The even harsher army motion by the Israeli military within the Gaza Strip, permitted final night time by the Israeli Safety Cupboard, makes it more and more tough, from the German authorities’s perspective, to see how these objectives are to be achieved,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned in a press release.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed again on the choice.
“Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel,” Netanyahu mentioned in a press release launched after he spoke with Merz.
Germany is the second-biggest exporter of army tools to Israel, after the U.S., in keeping with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes encompass makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians in Gaza Metropolis on Aug. 8, 2025. Israel’s army will “take management” of Gaza Metropolis underneath a brand new plan permitted by the Premier’s safety cupboard, touching off a wave of criticism from each inside and out of doors the nation.
Bashar Taleb/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
In response to Israel’s plans to take over Gaza Metropolis, Hamas claimed this was the explanation Israel withdrew from the final spherical of negotiations, and that that they had been “on the verge of reaching an settlement for a ceasefire and prisoner change.”
Hamas known as Israel’s newest plan a brand new battle crime, saying the Israeli authorities “don’t care concerning the destiny of their captives,” and that they’re sacrificing them.
Hamas reaffirmed “most flexibility and positivity” towards a ceasefire, however warned Israel the present plan “will come at a excessive value and won’t be a stroll within the park.”
Relations of hostages and different protesters gathered in entrance of the constructing the place the Israeli cupboard was in session to protest Netanyahu’s present proposal to occupy all of Gaza, calling the transfer a “loss of life sentence” for the remaining hostages in a press release from the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board Headquarters.
“For a 12 months and ten months we have been making an attempt to imagine that every little thing is being executed to carry them again – you may have failed. Now it’s a necessity to do the one factor the federal government hasn’t but executed – put a complete deal on the desk that can carry all of them residence collectively,” mentioned Anat Angrest, mom of hostage Matan Angrest.
Israel’s plan for an enlargement of army operations comes amid worldwide condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian scenario within the Gaza Strip.
“The Safety Cupboard has permitted the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas,” the Israeli prime minister’s workplace mentioned in a press release launched on Thursday. “The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will put together for the takeover of Gaza Metropolis whereas making certain the supply of humanitarian support to the civilian inhabitants exterior the fight zones.”
Turk, nevertheless, mentioned that the potential escalation will solely result in extra issues within the area. resulting in, what he says, “mindless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
“The battle in Gaza should finish now. And Israelis and Palestinians should be allowed to stay facet by facet in peace,” mentioned Turk. “As a substitute of intensifying this battle, the Israeli Authorities ought to put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza’s civilians by permitting the total, unfettered move of humanitarian support. The hostages should be instantly and unconditionally launched by Palestinian armed teams. Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel should even be instantly and unconditionally launched.”
Palestinians examine the positioning of a morning Israeli strike on a home, in Gaza Metropolis, August 8, 2025.
Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
In a Fox Information interview earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned repeatedly that he doesn’t need to “govern Gaza,” however he needs to “hand it over to Arab forces that can govern it correctly with out threatening” Israel.
Hamas, responding to the Fox Information interview, mentioned in a press release that “Netanyahu’s statements characterize a blatant reversal of the negotiation course of and clearly expose the true motives behind his withdrawal from the newest spherical of talks, regardless of us nearing a remaining settlement.”
On Sunday, an Israeli official advised ABC Information that Netanyahu was pushing to broaden the army operation in Gaza on the grounds that he felt Hamas just isn’t excited by reaching a brand new ceasefire deal underneath which surviving hostages might be launched.
When requested concerning the doable enlargement of the marketing campaign in Gaza, U.S. State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned Tuesday, “Reporting is one factor. Actual plans could be one other. We aren’t within the enterprise of decoding statements from international governments when and in the event that they’re made.”
“We do stay centered on releasing the hostages, together with the stays of two Individuals, and making certain that Hamas by no means guidelines Gaza once more,” Bruce mentioned.
