Hamas said in a statement that Gaza City "has been subjected for days to systematic destruction and horrific massacres against civilians, as a result of intensive aerial and artillery bombardment of residential neighborhoods, in a practical translation of the statements and plans of the occupation leaders."
The movement added that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening due to the blockade and the use of starvation as a weapon, in addition to the targeting of health, humanitarian, and relief centers and the destruction of vital facilities in the city."
She asked, "How can the world remain silent about war crimes and genocide being committed openly with official declarations from the leaders of the occupation, while international laws are unable to deter this entity and hold its leaders accountable?!"
Hamas called on the Arab and Islamic nations and the free people of the world to "intensify solidarity with the Palestinian people and form waves of pressure to halt the aggression, genocide, and displacement that the occupation has been continuing for more than 22 months."
Katz had announced earlier on Friday that he had approved the army's plans to occupy Gaza City, vowing to deal it a similar fate to Rafah and Beit Hanoun, referring to the cities and neighborhoods destroyed by the Israeli occupation army in recent months.
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On August 8, the Israeli government approved a plan proposed by Netanyahu for a gradual occupation of the Gaza Strip. The plan, which was adopted by a majority vote, included what it described as the "five principles for ending the war," namely: "disarming Hamas, returning all prisoners (living and dead), demilitarizing the Strip, establishing security control over it, and establishing an alternative civil administration separate from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority."
The plan begins with the occupation of Gaza City, displacing its population of approximately one million to the south, then encircling the city and carrying out incursions into residential areas. This will be followed by a second phase, which includes the occupation of refugee camps in central Gaza, large parts of which have already been destroyed by Israel.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The Israeli genocide left 62,263 Palestinians dead, 157,365 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that claimed the lives of 273 people, including 112 children.
