UN Council to Meet Sunday as Nations Revolt Over Israel’s Gaza City Plan

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan for the military to take control of Gaza City, widening a 22-month conflict aimed at removing Hamas from the enclave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Israel Defense Forces would secure the city while arranging humanitarian corridors for civilians outside combat zones. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the decision a “dangerous escalation” that would further imperil civilians and the roughly 50 hostages still held by militants. Fourteen of the Security Council’s 15 members demanded an emergency meeting, which has been rescheduled to Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in New York after a one-day delay; the United States opposed convening the session. International criticism intensified. Germany suspended approvals of military equipment that could be used in Gaza, and a joint statement by Germany, Britain, France, Canada and five other nations urged Israel to reconsider. A separate communiqué signed by more than 20 Arab and other states, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, denounced the plan as a breach of international law. Russia said the move would aggravate an already dire humanitarian situation. The initiative is also polarising Israelis. Tens of thousands rallied Saturday in what local outlets described as the largest anti-government protest in recent months. Families of captives warned the plan amounts to a “death sentence” for hostages, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel’s military chief, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, reportedly cautioned ministers that a ground push into Gaza City could jeopardise the hostages’ safety.