Israel occupies Gaza City and announces new settlements: international tension rises

Netanyahu launches offensive in the Strip and authorises construction plans in the West Bank. Meloni and Tajani condemn Tel Aviv’s decisions

Israel has begun the first phase of its occupation of Gaza City, considered a stronghold of Hamas. Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed that Operation Gideon’s Chariots, launched last May, has entered its second phase with troops taking control of the city’s outskirts. According to local sources, hundreds of Palestinians are fleeing the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods to move northwest, while the Israeli army prepares to enter Jabalia and other densely populated areas.

Defence Minister Israel Katz authorised the advance after a meeting with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and military leaders. The stated objectives are to free the hostages still held by Hamas, dismantle its military structures, eliminate the movement’s leaders and ensure a permanent security zone along the border. The army has announced humanitarian corridors and evacuation areas, but there is still great concern for the fate of the civilian population.

The West Bank settlement plan
In parallel with the offensive, the Israeli government has authorised the construction of approximately 3,400 new housing units in the E1 zone, a strategic 12-square-kilometre area between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim. The decision, announced by the organisation Peace Now, risks splitting the West Bank in two and making it almost impossible to form a future Palestinian state with contiguous territory.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the project as a means of “burying the idea of a Palestinian state”, confirming the hard line taken by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Netanyahu: “Hostages and Hamas, two inseparable goals”
The Israeli prime minister said in a video message that he had ordered the immediate start of negotiations for the release of the hostages, linking it to the conquest of Gaza City. “Defeating Hamas and freeing our hostages are two goals that go hand in hand,” he said. However, sources in his office told The Times of Israel that there are no plans, at least for now, to send delegations to Qatar or Egypt for direct negotiations on a ceasefire and prisoners.

The Italian government’s position
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed ‘deep concern’ over Israel’s decision to begin the occupation of Gaza and authorise new settlements. ‘The military escalation can only aggravate the already dramatic humanitarian situation,’ said the prime minister, reiterating Italy’s commitment to international law and a just and lasting peace. Meloni also condemned the decision on settlements, calling it ‘contrary to international law’ and harmful to the two-state solution.

International condemnation
On the diplomatic front, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani signed a joint declaration with 20 other countries and the European Union calling on Israel to immediately revoke its construction plan in the West Bank. The document stresses that this decision undermines the stability of the region and compromises the two-state solution, considered the only path to lasting peace. Tajani stressed that construction in E1 “would divide the future Palestinian state and reduce Palestinians” access to Jerusalem’.

THE LATEST NEWS

[recent_post_slider design=”design-07″ show_author=”false” slider_height=”390″ lazyload=”progressive” limit=”6″ category=”11728″]

(Photo: © AndKronos)