Politics Israel calls for pressure on Hamas - warnings against Gaza seizure
While Israel is calling for more international pressure on the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas at the UN Security Council, reports of a possible takeover of the Gaza Strip by Israel are causing concern.
06.08.2025, 05:17
SDA
Such a move could have "catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians" and further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza, warned UN diplomat Miroslav Jenca in New York. Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused countries that had recently announced the recognition of Palestine as a state of having destroyed a ceasefire agreement.
"Let me make this clear: These countries have prolonged the war," Saar said at a UN Security Council meeting requested by Israel. France and Canada had recently announced that they would recognize Palestine as a state. Great Britain also threatened Israel with such a step if the Israeli government did not end the Gaza war and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population.
Israel: International pressure must be on Hamas
With its massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas not only bears responsibility for the start of the war, but also for its continuation, because it does not release the hostages and does not lay down its weapons, said Saar. "The international pressure must be on Hamas," demanded the Foreign Minister in the most powerful UN body. "Anything else will only prolong this war."
The Islamists were deliberately using torture and starvation as a propaganda tool, said Saar, referring to shocking Hamas videos of emaciated hostages. The responsible UN representative Jenca condemned the treatment of the hostages and reiterated the United Nations' demand for their unconditional release. At the same time, Jenca drew attention to the catastrophic situation in which more than two million people in the Gaza Strip find themselves due to the closure of the coastal area by the Israeli armed forces. According to the UN, the people of Gaza are threatened by famine.
Sympathy for hostages - but also criticism of Israel
The vast majority of representatives on the UN Security Council expressed their sympathy for the Israeli hostages at the meeting, but also pointed to Israel's conduct of the war, with tens of thousands of civilians killed. Some diplomats called on Israel to end the war and the blockade of Gaza. The Palestinian UN ambassador Riad Mansur appealed to Israel to enter into negotiations. Although he condemned the October massacre by Hamas, he said that Israel's conduct of the war could not justify this act.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu consulted with army chief Ejal Zamir on how to proceed. According to Netanyahu's office, Zamir presented the head of government with possible options for continuing the war, which has been going on for 22 months. According to Israeli media, the complete capture of the sealed-off Gaza Strip was not among the options presented by the Chief of Staff.
Reports of plans to capture all of Gaza
On Monday, several Israeli media outlets unanimously reported that Netanyahu was pushing for a complete takeover of the Gaza Strip despite objections from the military leadership. However, the Israeli security cabinet would first have to approve such a plan. As the TV station N12 has now reported, the committee is to meet on Thursday for consultations.
Netanyahu has not yet commented publicly on the plans. Following the consultation with Chief of General Staff Zamir, the broadcaster Kan reported that Netanyahu was still leaning towards capturing the coastal strip - although the government was aware that such action would probably endanger the hostages there. According to Israeli estimates, there are currently still 20 live hostages held by Hamas.
According to media reports, the army leadership has serious reservations about extending the fighting and taking the Gaza Strip completely, partly because this could take years. The statement from Netanyahu's office now said: "The army is ready to implement all decisions of the security cabinet."
Opposition leader warns
Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned the government against allowing Gaza to be taken completely. "What the cabinet and government are heading towards will lead to all the hostages dying," he wrote on Platform X. They would be starved to death, tortured or killed in Israeli military operations.
Months of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a deal for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages have so far been unsuccessful.
"I understand exactly what Hamas wants. They don't want a deal," said Netanyahu a few days ago after the terrorist organization released the shocking hostage videos. He is now even more determined to free the hostages and eliminate Hamas. The hostage families' forum criticized Netanyahu in response. "For 22 months, the public has been sold the illusion that military pressure and intense fighting will bring back the hostages," it said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel.
Debate in Lebanon about disarming Hezbollah
Meanwhile, in Israel's northern neighbor Lebanon, the debate about disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia is coming to a head. Although Hezbollah is open to talks on dismantling its weapons arsenal, it is unwilling to agree to a concrete timetable as long as Israel continues to launch attacks in Lebanon and its troops have not been withdrawn. This was confirmed by Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Kassim. After a cabinet meeting on the subject, it was announced that the discussion would be postponed until next week.
According to the agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which came into force at the end of November, the militia is to be disarmed first in the south of the country and near the border with Israel. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nauaf Salam as well as the USA and Israel are demanding that Hezbollah hand over its weapons to the army. However, the demand to disarm the organization throughout the country is politically explosive.
Hezbollah has hundreds of thousands of supporters and still has great influence in the region, especially in the Shiite community. Should the cabinet make a decision to disarm it, members of the militia - which is also a political party - could leave the government in protest. There are fears that this could plunge Lebanon into the next crisis.
