This liveblog is now closed. For the latest on the Middle East conflict, please click here.
What we know
- NEW OFFENSIVE APPROVED: Israel says it will take over Gaza City, escalating its war with Hamas as it faces growing domestic and international outrage over the 22-month conflict.
- WIDER PLAN: While Israeli officials announced that Israeli forces would take Gaza City, they appear to be casting a wider net, with the plan envisioning the disarming of Hamas, the return of all the hostages and the demilitarization of the entire Gaza Strip.
- MILITARY BUILDUP: NBC News reported earlier that commercial satellite images showed the Israeli military building up troops and equipment near the border with Gaza, which would support a possible new ground invasion of the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave.
- STRONG OPPOSITION: Critics have said taking over Gaza City would further endanger the remaining hostages held by Hamas, entrench the Israeli military even further into the conflict and cause more civilian deaths in Gaza, which is already on the brink of famine.
Foreign ministers from five countries issue joint statement condemning Israel's plan to expand military operations in Gaza
The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on Friday that said they “strongly reject” Israel's decision to launch additional military operations in Gaza.
“It will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians,” the statement said, noting that Israel's plans could possibly violate international humanitarian law.
The only way to have peace between Israelis and Palestinians is through a “negotiated two-state solution,” the statement said.
U.N. Security Council to hold emergency meeting tomorrow
The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Saturday after Israel’s cabinet approved a plan for the military takeover of Gaza City. The rare weekend meeting was called for by the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The U.K. and France were two of a growing group of countries condemning the move, including China, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the decision was simply “wrong” and urged Israel to reconsider it immediately.
A spokesperson for the office of the U.N. Secretary General said on Friday that the U.N. still has staff on the ground in Gaza City and there is currently no change in posture for the U.N. to announce. The U.N. resident coordinator is in touch with Israeli authorities to determine when Israeli plans may be carried out.
In Jordan's capital, tears and anger over Israel's escalation
In Jordan, home to a large Palestinian population, news of Israel’s plans to take over Gaza City and expand its offensive in Gaza fueled outrage in the streets of downtown Amman.
“There’s no justification,” Hussam Mohammed said, sitting with his wife and three children outside and eating knafeh, a treasured traditional dessert. “They start with Gaza, but the next will be the West Bank,” Mohammed, 40, said.
In nearby shops, signs of support for Palestinians in Gaza abound, with magnets emblazoned with the words “save Palestine” for sale alongside pro-Palestinian art and jewelry.
One shop manager, Saed Hassan, who is half-Palestinian, said he had not been "feeling happy for two years," referring to the two years that have nearly passed since the war began.
“I swear, I’m feeling so bad,” he said, breaking down into tears at one point as he described his devastation at hearing the news of Israel’s plans to escalate its war in Gaza. “I cannot understand anything right now. I’m not watching the news.”
Pro-Israel Democrats ramp up criticism of Netanyahu
Some of Congress’ most pro-Israel Democrats are ramping up their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a warning sign for the Israeli leader as he seeks to expand the Israeli military campaign inside Gaza.
In a statement on Thursday, Rep. Dan. Goldman, D-N.Y., accused Netanyahu of serving his own interests rather than those of his country, writing, “It is clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s personal and political interests are guiding Israel’s actions, rather than what is best for the Israeli people or for the nation of Israel. He is beholden to the extreme right, whose support he needs to remain in power, which, in turn, is helpful to defend against his corruption case.”
He is still critical of countries that are proposing recognizing a Palestinian state as a form of punishment toward Israel, arguing that would only serve as a reward to Hamas.
Another staunchly pro-Israel Democrat, Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., issued a statement today after Netanyahu’s cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, calling the idea “tactically questionable and strategically self-defeating,” and warning it will “further unite much of the world against Israel.”
While Democratic opposition may do little to change U.S. policy toward Gaza, it does mean that Netanyahu is alienating some of his few remaining supporters — or those who had largely refrained from criticism — in the Democratic party.
In March 2024, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY., the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., gave a speech on the Senate floor calling for new elections to replace Netanyahu.
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour called Israel's plan to occupy all of Gaza "crazy, irresponsible, dangerous, vicious."
The ambassador called for support from the international community and urged the U.N. Security Council to “shoulder its responsibilities.”
UAE conducts 66th airdrop of aid into Gaza
The United Arab Emirates conducted its 66th airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza today, according to the country's Ministry of Defense.
The mission, which was conducted in partnership with Jordan, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Italy, is part of Operation Birds of Charity and Gallant Knight 3, the ministry said.
"The participating aircraft included new shipments of food and humanitarian supplies destined for areas inaccessible by land, with the aim of providing urgent support to affected families in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said. "This brings the total amount of aid dropped to more than 3,873 tons, a clear demonstration of the UAE’s continued commitment to standing by the brotherly Palestinian people and strengthening international humanitarian efforts."
More countries call out Israel for its Gaza plans
More countries have come forward to call out Israel for its plan to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
Pakistan has condemned the plan, calling it "a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war," while the Netherlands and Denmark said it is "wrong."
“The plan of the Netanyahu government to intensify Israeli operations in Gaza is a wrong move," Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a post on X. "The humanitarian situation is catastrophic and demands immediate improvement. This decision in no way contributes to this and will also not help to get the hostages home."
The first minister of Scotland, John Swinney, said Israel's decision on Gaza is "completely and utterly unacceptable."
"It will create even more human suffering for the Palestinian people and further escalate the conflict," Swinney wrote on X. "The international community must stop Israel and secure a ceasefire."
In a statement issued today, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said thatn criticism from other countries was not a concern.
“Countries around the world that condemn and threaten sanctions will not weaken our resolve,” Katz said.
U.N. secretary general 'gravely alarmed' by Israel's Gaza plans
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres is "gravely alarmed" by Israel's plan to occupy all of the Gaza Strip.
"This marks a dangerous escalation & risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians," Guterres said on X, and in a statement shared by a spokesperson. "It could further endanger more lives, including of the remaining hostages."
Guterres warned that further escalation in Gaza could lead to "additional forced displacement, killings and massive destruction, compounding the unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza," according to the statement.
He also reiterated his calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access across the enclave and the release of the hostages.
Netanyahu: 'We are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza'
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the nation's newly announced plan to take over Gaza City, saying: “We are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas.”
“Gaza will be demilitarized, and a peaceful civilian administration will be established, one that is not the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, and not any other terrorist organization,” he wrote on X late Friday. He claimed the plan will help free hostages.
Israel’s announcement was denounced by countries across the globe. United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for Israel to “immediately halt” it’s plans to takeover the Gaza Strip, warning that further escalation will only result in “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
Türk said instead of intensifying this war, the Israeli government “should put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza’s civilians by allowing the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid.”
Israeli defense minister justifies Gaza plan, says goal is 'complete defeat of Hamas'
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz justified in a statement the Cabinet's decision to occupy Gaza and said that the country "is determined to achieve the goals of the war."
The goals include "the complete defeat of Hamas, creating the conditions for the return of all the hostages, and ensuring the safety of Israeli communities through a strong and comprehensive security zone in Gaza," Katz said in the statement.
Katz said he's been authorized to approve the IDF's plans to escalate its war in Gaza, which it is already planning for today, adding that the condemnation Israel has received from countries around the world were not a concern.
"Countries around the world that condemn and threaten sanctions will not weaken our resolve. The days when Jews did not defend themselves are over," Katz said.
