LONDON — On the heels of Israel’s safety cupboard approving plans to occupy Gaza Metropolis, the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, mentioned “this additional escalation will end in extra killing, extra insufferable struggling, mindless destruction,” based on an announcement launched Friday morning.
Turk known as for the offensive to be “instantly halted.”
“The Israeli Authorities’s plan for an entire navy takeover of the occupied Gaza strip have to be instantly halted,” Turk mentioned. “It runs opposite to the ruling of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice that Israel should carry its occupation to an finish as quickly as attainable, to the realisation of the agreed two-State resolution and to the correct of Palestinians to self-determination.”
A Palestinian boy carries a stroller on the web site of a morning Israeli strike on a home, in Gaza Metropolis, Aug. 8, 2025.
Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
European Union Council President Antonio Costa strongly urged the Israeli authorities to rethink its choice to take over Gaza Metropolis, saying it would solely worsen the scenario in Gaza.
“Such an operation — along with the continued unlawful enlargement of settlements within the West Financial institution, the huge destruction in Gaza, the blockade of humanitarian assist, and the unfold of famine — not solely violates the settlement with the EU introduced by the Excessive Consultant on July 19 but in addition undermines elementary rules of worldwide legislation and common values,” Costa mentioned in a submit on social media.
“Such a choice should have penalties for EU-Israel relations,” he mentioned.
“The scenario in Gaza stays dramatic, and the choice by the Israeli authorities will solely additional worsen it. The 2-state resolution stays the one sustainable, long-term resolution for peace and safety in Israel and the area,” Costa mentioned.
Germany, certainly one of Israel’s closest allies, introduced Friday it would droop the exports of arms to Israel that may very well be used within the Gaza Strip “till additional discover.” Germany mentioned the “launch of hostages and purposeful negotiations on a ceasefire are our high precedence.”
“The even harsher navy motion by the Israeli military within the Gaza Strip, authorized final night time by the Israeli Safety Cupboard, makes it more and more tough, from the German authorities’s perspective, to see how these targets are to be achieved,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned in an announcement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed again on the choice.
“Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel,” Netanyahu mentioned in an announcement launched after he spoke with Merz.
Germany is the second-biggest exporter of navy tools to Israel, after the U.S., based on the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute.
Buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes encompass makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians in Gaza Metropolis on Aug. 8, 2025. Israel’s navy will “take management” of Gaza Metropolis below a brand new plan authorized by the Premier’s safety cupboard, touching off a wave of criticism from each inside and out of doors the nation.
Bashar Taleb/AFP through Getty Photographs
In response to Israel’s plans to take over Gaza Metropolis, Hamas claimed this was the explanation Israel withdrew from the final spherical of negotiations, and that they’d been “on the verge of reaching an settlement for a ceasefire and prisoner change.”
Hamas known as Israel’s newest plan a brand new struggle crime, saying the Israeli authorities “don’t care concerning the destiny of their captives,” and that they’re sacrificing them.
Hamas reaffirmed “most flexibility and positivity” towards a ceasefire, however warned Israel the present plan “will come at a excessive value and won’t be a stroll within the park.”
Members of the family of hostages and different protesters gathered in entrance of the constructing the place the Israeli cupboard was in session to protest Netanyahu’s present proposal to occupy all of Gaza, calling the transfer a “dying sentence” for the remaining hostages in an announcement from the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board Headquarters.
“For a yr and ten months we have been making an attempt to imagine that all the things is being performed to carry them again – you may have failed. Now it’s a necessity to do the one factor the federal government hasn’t but performed – put a complete deal on the desk that may carry all of them dwelling collectively,” mentioned Anat Angrest, mom of hostage Matan Angrest.
Israel’s plan for an enlargement of navy operations comes amid worldwide condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian scenario within the Gaza Strip.
“The Safety Cupboard has authorized the Prime Minister’s proposal for the defeat of Hamas,” the Israeli prime minister’s workplace mentioned in an announcement launched on Thursday. “The IDF (Israel Protection Forces) will put together for the takeover of Gaza Metropolis whereas making certain the availability of humanitarian assist to the civilian inhabitants exterior the fight zones.”
Turk, nonetheless, mentioned that the potential escalation will solely result in extra issues within the area. resulting in, what he says, “mindless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
“The struggle in Gaza should finish now. And Israelis and Palestinians have to be allowed to dwell facet by facet in peace,” mentioned Turk. “As a substitute of intensifying this struggle, the Israeli Authorities ought to put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza’s civilians by permitting the total, unfettered circulation of humanitarian assist. The hostages have to be instantly and unconditionally launched by Palestinian armed teams. Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel should even be instantly and unconditionally launched.”
Palestinians examine the positioning of a morning Israeli strike on a home, in Gaza Metropolis, August 8, 2025.
Mahmoud Issa/Reuters
In a Fox Information interview earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned repeatedly that he doesn’t wish to “govern Gaza,” however he needs to “hand it over to Arab forces that may govern it correctly with out threatening” Israel.
Hamas, responding to the Fox Information interview, mentioned in an announcement that “Netanyahu’s statements characterize a blatant reversal of the negotiation course of and clearly expose the true motives behind his withdrawal from the most recent spherical of talks, regardless of us nearing a remaining settlement.”
On Sunday, an Israeli official informed ABC Information that Netanyahu was pushing to increase the navy operation in Gaza on the grounds that he felt Hamas will not be focused on reaching a brand new ceasefire deal below which surviving hostages may very well be launched.
When requested concerning the attainable enlargement of the marketing campaign in Gaza, U.S. State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned Tuesday, “Reporting is one factor. Actual plans could be one other. We’re not within the enterprise of deciphering statements from overseas governments when and in the event that they’re made.”
“We do stay targeted on releasing the hostages, together with the stays of two Individuals, and making certain that Hamas by no means guidelines Gaza once more,” Bruce mentioned.
