Israel’s security cabinet has approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for the army to seize Gaza City, marking the biggest expansion of the 22-month war against Hamas since the initial ground offensive. A statement released early Friday said the Israel Defense Forces will “prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.” The cabinet adopted five principles for ending the conflict: dismantling Hamas, securing the release of all remaining hostages, demilitarising the enclave, imposing continued Israeli security control and establishing a civilian administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. According to Israeli media, roughly 900,000 people are now crowded into the city, which has already endured months of bombardment. Netanyahu had set the stage the previous day, telling Fox News that Israel intends to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip but has “no plans to annex or govern” the territory. He said the enclave would eventually be handed to Arab forces after Israel creates a permanent security perimeter. The decision was taken over objections from parts of the military establishment and amid rising domestic unease. Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir reportedly warned the cabinet that a full occupation could worsen the humanitarian crisis and endanger about 50 hostages still held in Gaza. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the move a “disaster” that ignores military advice and public fatigue. International criticism intensified after the vote. Germany suspended approvals for arms shipments that could be used in Gaza, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and UN human-rights chief Volker Türk urged Israel to rethink the operation, citing warnings of famine and a death toll that Gaza’s health ministry says has surpassed 61,000. Netanyahu’s coalition, bolstered by far-right partners, insists the campaign is necessary to eliminate Hamas and restore long-term security.