Israel's Gaza plan sparks global outrage

TEL AVIV: Israel's decision to expand its military offensive to seize control of Gaza City has sparked widespread international alarm, with allies and rivals of the government warning of catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
The plan, proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved overnight by Israel's Security Cabinet, marks a major escalation in the nearly two-year war.
A spokeswoman for the United Nations on Friday described Israel's decision as 'deeply alarming'.
'It is clear that this would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and further endanger the lives of their remaining hostages in Gaza', spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said in Geneva.
Hamas warned the Israeli government that seizing control of Gaza City would amount to 'sacrificing' the hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory.
'The decision to occupy Gaza confirms that the criminal (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his Nazi government do not care about the fate of their captives', the group said in a statement. 'They understand that expanding the aggression means sacrificing them'.
A statement from Netanyahu's office said that humanitarian assistance would be provided to the civilian population outside combat zones.
The plan envisages the disarmament of Hamas, the return of hostages to Israel, the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip and 'Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip' in exchange for an end to the war.
It also requires that the territory be ruled by an 'alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority'.
The statement did not specify whether Israel would be seeking to takeover the entire Gaza Strip, which Netanyahu had previously said was part of his plan.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed concern at the announcement and called on the Israeli government to reconsider its decision.
'Immediate and unhindered' access for humanitarian aid must be provided to the sealed-off coastal territory, she wrote on X on Friday.
The German government, one of Israel's strongest supporters since the beginning of the war, announced that it would suspend exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip in response to the decision.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz underlined that Israel has the 'right to defend itself against the terror of Hamas' and insisted that the release of hostages and targeted negotiations on a ceasefire remain Germany's highest priorities.
But Merz said the decision to launch a fresh offensive makes it increasingly difficult to achieve Israel's goals in the war.
'Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice', he added.
The move is major step for Berlin, which has consistently opposed banning military exports to Israel and blocked EU initiatives to issue sanctions over the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The Security Cabinet's decision also drew fierce criticism at home, with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid describing it as a'catastrophe' that 'will lead to many more catastrophes'. dpa & AFP