Israel rejects international criticism of Gaza City takeover plan

Israel has firmly rejected international condemnation after its security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, with Defence Minister Israel Katz vowing that criticism ‘will not weaken our resolve.’ The plan involves relocating Gaza City’s estimated one million residents southward and seizing control of refugee camps and hostage-held areas. Multiple countries including the UK, Germany, and Australia have condemned the move as worsening Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, with Germany halting military exports to Israel. Hamas has denounced the plan as a ‘new war crime,’ while hostage families within Israel warn it endangers captives’ lives. The UN reports 87% of Gaza is already under evacuation orders or in conflict zones, with famine conditions worsening.