Israel's security cabinet approves Netanyahu's plan for full control over Gaza Strip

In particular, Israel will provide humanitarian aid to civilians outside combat zones.

Most cabinet ministers also supported a list of five principles that Israel will demand in exchange for ending the war with Hamas:

• Disarmament of Hamas

• Return of all 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive

• Demilitarization of the Gaza Strip

• Israeli control over security in the Gaza Strip

• Establishment of an alternative civilian government that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority

The IDF has said it opposes taking over the whole Strip, with the army assessing it could take years to clear all Hamas infrastructure. It could also put hostages in danger of being executed should troops approach where they are being held.

The statement does not provide details about the alternative plan in question, but it appears to refer to a proposal presented by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who opposed the occupation of the Gaza Strip, fearing it could lead to a humanitarian disaster and endanger the lives of the hostages.

At the same time, it remains unclear why the statement mentions only the takeover of Gaza City, rather than the entire Gaza Strip, as Netanyahu had previously stated. It is also unclear whether other unconquered areas outside Gaza City will be seized under the approved plan.

In recent days, Netanyahu convened an expanded cabinet meeting to discuss further actions in the Gaza Strip and the conditions for a possible hostage release deal.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that, given the collapse of negotiations, Israel would have to decide on its next steps in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, the Israeli government called Hamas’s conditions for releasing hostages unacceptable.

For more details on the situation between Israel and the Gaza Strip, see RBC-Ukraine’s report.