Israel plans to capture all of Gaza under new plan, officials say

TEL AVIV Israel AP Israel approved plans on Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time two Israeli functionaries stated in a move that if implemented would vastly expand Israel s operations in the Palestinian territory and likely bring fierce international opposition Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote hours after the Israeli military chief commented the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers The new plan which the representatives declared was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza also would push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza what would likely exacerbate an already dire humanitarian emergency Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly of Gaza Before the truce ended Israel halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza including food fuel and water setting off what is deduced to the be the worst humanitarian predicament in nearly months of war The ban on aid has prompted widespread hunger and shortages have set off looting Israel is trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas The Israeli executives stated the plan included the capturing of the strip and the holding of territories The plan would also seek to prevent the militant Hamas group from distributing humanitarian aid which Israel says strengthens the group s rule in Gaza It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself to bolsters its capabilities The plan also included powerful strikes against Hamas targets the functionaries stated The functionaries mentioned Israel was in touch with several countries about President Donald Trump s plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population under what Israel has termed voluntary emigration yet which has sparked condemnations from Israel s allies in Europe and the Arab world One of the representatives revealed the plan would be implemented gradually Both leaders spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military plans For weeks Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas and prompt it to show more flexibility in ceasefire negotiations But international mediators trying to bring the sides toward a new deal have struggled to do so Israel s measures do not appear to have moved Hamas away from its negotiating positions The previous ceasefire was meant to lead the sides to negotiate an end to the war but that goal has been a repeated sticking point in talks between Israel and Hamas Israel says it won t agree to end the war until Hamas is defeated Hamas meanwhile has demanded an agreement that winds down the war Israel wants to prevent Hamas from handling aid The Israeli executives did not disclose details on how the plan seeks to prevent Hamas from involvement in aid distribution One reported the ministers had approved the option of aid distribution without elaborating According to an internal memo circulated among aid groups and seen by The Associated Press Israel recounted the United Nations that it will use private shield companies to control aid distribution in Gaza The U N in a report Sunday announced it would not participate in the plan as presented to it saying it violates its core principles The memo sent to aid organizations on Sunday detailed notes from a meeting between the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza COGAT and the UN Under COGAT s plan all aid will enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom overcoming letting approximately trucks enter daily and distributing kilograms of aid parcels directly to people on the day of entry although their contents were unclear as was how various people will have access to the aid The memo explained the aid will be distributed at logistics hubs which will be run by private defense companies The memo announced that facial recognition will be used to identify Palestinians at the hubs and SMS alerts will notify people in the area that they can collect aid Aid workers say the plan to centralize aid rather than delivering it to Palestinians where they are will forcibly displace people The fighting has displaced more than of Gaza s population often multiple times and turned Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape The UN accuses Israel of wanting to control aid as a pressure tactic The U N announced the plan would leave large parts of the population including the most of vulnerable without supplies It mentioned the plan appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic as part of a military strategy The memo says that the U S regime has voiced clear endorsement for Israel s plan but it s unclear who would provide funding for the private military companies or the aid COGAT and the U S Embassy in Jerusalem did not this instant respond to a request for comment Earlier this week the AP obtained dozens of documents about aid groups concerns that the hubs could end up permanently displacing Palestinians and forcing them to live in de facto internment conditions Meanwhile Israeli strikes across Gaza continued overnight killing at least people in northern Gaza according to hospital staff Strikes hit Gaza City Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and among the dead were eight women and children according to staff at the Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel killing people and taking about hostages Israel says captives remain in Gaza although about are assumed to be dead Israel s offensive has killed more than people in Gaza numerous of them women and children according to Palestinian medical personnel who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count Israel occupied Gaza in the Mideast war and withdrew troops and settlers in Two years later Hamas took over and has controlled the territory since