After Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to expand its military offensive and “capture” Gaza, humanitarian organisations and world leaders have been speaking out in condemnation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that they have decided to pursue a “forceful operation” and that troops looking to seize territory “will not enter and come out”.

“If no hostage deal is reached (with Hamas), Operation Gideon’s Chariots will begin with full force and will not stop until all its objectives are reached,” an official stated.

The plan also includes displacing Gaza’s population to the south of the enclave, following which the ongoing blockade on humanitarian aid may be lifted. At present, many Palestinians are facing a starvation crisis, with Israel preventing food and medical supplies from reaching those in need for the past three months.

The announcement of the expanded military offensive was condemned worldwide. Within Israel, hostage families expressed fear over the government prioritising defeating Hamas instead of rescuing hostages, endangering them in the process. Hundreds have also taken to the streets of Jerusalem to protest the government’s decision, with one participant saying, “They prefer Hamas over the interests of the State of Israel.”

Elsewhere, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has accused Israel of war crimes for blocking aid, saying it is “simply wrong, in principle and law to inflict hunger and suffering on a civilian population, whatever the circumstances.”

He added that “it is wholly unacceptable to contemplate the mass displacement of people in Gaza or to talk of permanent occupation. Not only is it an affront to decency and to international law, history tells us it offers no solution.”

Similarly, Tánaiste Simon Harris described the plans as “alarming”, adding: “Such a move would result in further deaths, casualties and untold suffering for the Palestinian population who already face a dire humanitarian situation.”

He said that what is happening is “despicable and unconscionable” and called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities, release of remaining hostages and the resumption of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza.”

 

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Speaking to Sky News, Olga Cherevko from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Israel’s control over the distribution of aid is “in contravention of globally-established humanitarian principles”. She added that the current situation in Gaza is “absolutely desperate,” saying that almost every day she sees people “fighting over water, fighting over food”.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands, one of Israel’s most loyal allies in the European Union, has called for an urgent review of the EU-Israel trade deal. The Dutch Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp, described the aid blockade as “catastrophic, truly dismal” and said he believes the country is in breach of international humanitarian law and the association agreement.

The EU itself expressed concern about “further casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population,” while the UK said it “does not support an expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza”.

After the plans were announced, Israel carried out further strikes on Gaza, killing at least 48 people, according to hospital officials. In the 20 months since the country launched its escalated military offensive in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, over 52,000 have been killed.