Israeli Defense Minister approves plan to capture Gaza City
The Defense Minister’s spokesman told the international news agency AFP that this step has been taken to put more pressure on Hamas. It is worth noting that international mediators are constantly trying to bring a ceasefire to end the war that has been going on in Gaza for almost two years and are waiting for Israel’s official response.
New ceasefire proposal and Israel’s conditions
The new proposal, prepared through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt, includes provisions such as a ceasefire for the first 60 days, gradual release of hostages, delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and release of some Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has supported this proposal, but Israel has made it clear that its primary condition in any agreement will be the release of all hostages. Israel says that it will not agree to a half-hearted agreement.
Qatar claims that the current proposal is almost the same as what Israel had agreed to earlier. Egypt also stated that now the decision depends entirely on Israel.
Increasing pressure on Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet made a public statement on this plan. However, recently, he reiterated that Israel will accept the agreement only when all the hostages are released together and the war ends on its stipulated terms.
On the other hand, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi wrote on social media that his organization has opened the doors for talks, but the question is whether Netanyahu will close this opportunity again, as has happened many times before.
Amid increasing pressure at home and abroad, Netanyahu’s government is now facing a double challenge – military on the one hand and humanitarian crisis on the other.
Deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza
The situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly dire. According to the local civil defense agency, at least 48 people were killed in Israeli attacks and firing on 19 August 2025. The situation in the Zeitun and Sabra areas of Gaza City is said to be very serious.
The Israeli army says it is trying to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and is taking precautions to cause minimal harm to civilians. However, independent journalists and agencies have difficulties in reaching the area, so it is extremely difficult to confirm the real situation.
Food aid becomes “white gold”
The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis can be gauged from the fact that a Gaza woman, Shogh al-Badri, called a sack of flour “white gold”. She said that it took her three to four hours to carry a sack of flour to the family. According to her, this one bag is as valuable as the whole world.
The figure so far
In October 2023, 1,219 people of Israel were killed in Hamas attacks, most of whom were civilians.
In Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s action so far, including a large number of civilians.
The United Nations has also considered these figures reliable.
Conclusion
The approval of the occupation of Gaza City by the Israeli Defense Minister makes it clear that the conflict may flare up even more instead of ending now. On one hand, there are hopes for the new ceasefire proposal, while on the other hand, the fear of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepening due to the intensification of military action has also increased. Now all eyes are on what stance the Netanyahu government takes – whether it will accept the efforts of the mediators and move towards peace, or will it intensify the military operation.
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