In a move that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles and humanitarian organizations alike, Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to seize control of the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an indefinite period.
The decision, made in the early hours of Monday, comes as the war in Gaza grinds into its nineteenth month, with no end in sight and the humanitarian situation reaching what aid groups call “catastrophic” proportions.
Two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the plan includes not only a military occupation but also a new system for distributing humanitarian aid—one that would see Israel, not international agencies, in charge of who gets food, water, and medicine. The stated aim: to prevent Hamas from using aid to bolster its rule. The likely result: even more suffering for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, most of whom have already been displaced multiple times by the fighting.
A Humanitarian Crisis, Weaponized
I remember standing in a UN tent in southern Gaza last year, watching aid workers hand out bags of flour to families who had lost everything. Even then, the sense of desperation was palpable. Today, that desperation has metastasized. The United Nations and major NGOs have condemned Israel’s new plan, warning that it will “reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy.” The UN has flatly refused to participate in the new aid distribution system, arguing that it violates the core humanitarian principles of impartiality and independence.
The numbers are staggering: more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The majority are women and children. Aid convoys are routinely blocked or looted, and the few that get through are now set to be managed by private security contractors, with Israeli soldiers providing “an outer layer of security.” Facial recognition and SMS alerts will be used to control who receives aid, a system that aid workers say will forcibly displace people and leave the most vulnerable without help.
Political Calculus and International Backlash
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from both his right-wing coalition and the families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, has doubled down on his promise to “defeat Hamas.” But the new plan has exposed deep rifts within Israel’s own leadership. Army chief Eyal Zamir reportedly warned that a full-blown offensive could doom the remaining hostages. Opposition leaders have accused Netanyahu of sacrificing both Israeli and Palestinian lives to save his government from collapse.
Internationally, the backlash has been swift. European and Arab governments have condemned the plan, and the United States—while voicing support for Israel’s right to self-defense—has so far stopped short of endorsing the occupation or the new aid regime. The UN’s Humanitarian Country Team has warned that the plan “contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic.”
On the Ground: Displacement and Despair
For ordinary Gazans, the new plan means more uncertainty, more displacement, and more hunger. The Israeli military has already called up tens of thousands of reservists, and strikes continue across the strip. The plan envisions pushing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians further south, into ever-shrinking “humanitarian zones” that aid groups say are little more than open-air prisons.
Anecdotes from aid workers paint a grim picture: children fighting over scraps of bread, families sleeping in the rubble of their former homes, and a population that has lost faith in the world’s ability—or willingness—to help. One aid worker told me, “We’re not just running out of food. We’re running out of hope.”
What Comes Next?
The Israeli government insists that the plan is necessary to defeat Hamas and restore security. But critics, both inside and outside Israel, warn that it risks turning Gaza into a permanent war zone and deepening the region’s humanitarian nightmare. As one Israeli opposition leader put it, “This serves no security purpose and does not bring the release of the hostages closer.”
The world is watching, but for Gaza’s civilians, the future has never looked more uncertain.