Hamas warns Israel that taking Gaza 'is sacrificing the hostages'

The Security Cabinet of the Government of Israel approved a military plan in the early hours of Friday promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupyGaza City, located in the northern part of the Palestinian enclave.

The initiative, which marks a new stage in the armed conflict, has as its main objective to defeat the terrorist organization Hamas, ensure the return of Israeli hostages, and establish a new security structure in the Strip.

The decision was officially communicated by the Prime Minister's Office, which detailed that the cabinet supported Netanyahu's proposal to defeat Hamas and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing to carry out the offensive.

Although the plan currently focuses solely on Gaza City, which represents approximately 25% of the territory still outside Israeli control, a future extension to other areas such as the refugee camps in the center of the enclave is not ruled out.

The government statement emphasized that Israel will maintain its commitment to provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population located outside the combat zones. The operation, as explained, seeks to balance military objectives with the management of humanitarian consequences, in a regional context of high tension and with growing international pressure.

Among the conditions demanded by the Israeli government to end the war are the complete disarmament of Hamas, the return of the remaining hostages—50 according to the latest count, of whom about 20 are believed to be alive—, the total demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, security control by Israel and the establishment of an alternative civil government that is not represented by either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

On the Hamas side, the reaction was immediate. Through a statement, the Islamist group described the operation as a "new war crime" and warned:  "We warn the criminal occupation that this venture will cost it dearly and will not be an easy path". In addition, they accused Israel of "sacrificing the hostages", considering that the offensive puts at risk the lives of the captives who still remain in the hands of the militias.

Meanwhile, the IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, expressed his rejection of a total occupation of the enclave, arguing that it could lead to a humanitarian disaster and compromise the security of the hostages. Nevertheless, Netanyahu's office clarified that "an overwhelming majority of ministers determined that the alternative plan presented to the security cabinet would not have ensured the defeat of Hamas or the return of the hostages".

The strategic focus on Gaza City responds to its symbolic and operational value within Hamas's structures, and to its high population concentration—estimated at 800,000 people—, whose evacuation is considered an operational condition. The gradual occupation would allow resistance to be reduced and positions to be consolidated before advancing on other areas of the enclave.

With this decision, Israel reaffirms its determination to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas and to lay the foundations for a new governance and security framework in Gaza, with effective control of the territory as a non-negotiable condition.