JERUSALEM, Aug 11, 2025 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to press ahead with a plan to seize control of Gaza City, defying warnings from the United Nations and several world powers that a new assault could trigger “another calamity” in the war-ravaged territory.
Flanked by senior aides at a Jerusalem press conference, Netanyahu described the offensive as the “best way” to end the 22-month conflict and dismantle what he called Hamas’s “two remaining strongholds” — in Gaza City and the coastal zone around al-Mawasi.
“This plan will move fairly quickly and will free Gaza from Hamas,” he told reporters, rejecting claims that Israel was using starvation as a weapon and accusing international media of spreading “lies” and “fake” images of malnourished children.
UN rings alarm
The remarks came hours after an emergency session of the UN Security Council, where Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca warned that the operation risked large-scale displacement, killings and destruction.
“If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region,” Jenca said.
Britain, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia called for the plan to be scrapped, warning of possible violations of international humanitarian law. China condemned what it called “collective punishment,” while Russia warned against “reckless intensification of hostilities.”
The United States, by contrast, defended Israel’s right to act against Hamas. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said Washington was working “tirelessly” to free hostages and insisted the war “could end today if Hamas let the hostages go.”
Hunger and aid controversy
UN humanitarian officials say the food crisis in Gaza is no longer a looming threat but a reality. Ramesh Rajasingham, the UN’s humanitarian coordination director, called the situation “starvation, pure and simple.”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a controversial aid distribution body backed by Israel and the United States — has been at the centre of fierce debate. UN figures show at least 1,373 Palestinians have died seeking food since GHF sites opened in late May, often amid chaotic scenes and live fire.
Netanyahu blamed Hamas for “violently looting” aid trucks and insisted most shooting incidents were carried out by militants, not Israeli forces.
Mounting toll
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, when Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Palestinian officials say 217 people — many of them children — have died from starvation or malnutrition since the conflict began, with five such deaths reported since Saturday.
Israeli authorities believe about 50 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are thought to be alive. Families of the captives have staged protests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, warning the Gaza City assault could endanger their loved ones.
Domestic dissent
Netanyahu’s plan has also drawn criticism at home, with thousands joining weekend rallies against the offensive. Security sources told Israeli media that some senior military officers fear the operation could become a drawn-out, manpower-draining campaign without resolving the hostage crisis.
The prime minister countered that “if we don’t do anything, we are not going to get them out” and insisted the army’s momentum must continue.
Legal backdrop
Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders on allegations including the war crime of starvation — charges Israel rejects.
Rights groups say the restrictions on aid, combined with attacks near food lines, raise serious legal concerns that are now under active investigation.
Media access
Throughout the war, Israel has tightly restricted foreign press access to Gaza. Netanyahu said a directive had been in place for two days allowing the military to bring in international journalists, part of what he described as an effort to “puncture lies” about the conflict.
