Despite sharp warnings from the UN, Israel is seeking military control over the entire Gaza Strip."We intend to do so," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US broadcaster Fox News on Thursday, confirming for the first time speculation that has been circulating in days. He added that the coastal area would later be handed over to"Arab forces," who would then "govern the area properly." Hamas calls the plans a "coup."

"We don't want to keep it," Netanyahu said."We want to have a security border. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to govern there."

Netanyahu's statement shows that he is willing to sacrifice the Israeli hostages for his personal interests, according to a statement from the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas. This was stated in a statement issued by the Palestinian organization on Thursday. The statement comes amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Israel issues evacuation notice for neighborhoods in Gaza City

While discussions about expanding the Gaza war were still underway, the Israeli army issued an evacuation order for two neighborhoods in Gaza City. A military spokesperson called in Arabic for residents of the old city neighborhoods of Daraj and Tuffah to immediately head south to the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi.

The Israeli military claims to currently control approximately 75 percent of the Gaza Strip. The majority of the coastal region's approximately two million inhabitants have been displaced repeatedly in the past two years. Aid workers have recently pointed to a famine in Gaza. Netanyahu is under international pressure to achieve a ceasefire, but also faces internal demands from his coalition to continue the war.

UN:"Deeply alarming"

The United Nations had already described plans for complete control as "deeply alarming" on Tuesday."International law is clear on this point: the Gaza Strip is and must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state," said UN Deputy Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca. Israel's capture of the entire Gaza Strip could have catastrophic consequences and further endanger the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages there.

US President Donald Trump, however, declined to comment on such considerations on Tuesday."That will largely be decided by Israel," he explained. The US is Israel's most important backer. Trump had proposed a US takeover of the Gaza Strip earlier this year. The idea was rejected by many Arab states, the United Nations, Palestinians, and human rights activists.

Netanyahu made the remarks on Thursday before a meeting with his security cabinet, which is expected to discuss plans for the military to take control of additional Gaza areas. The idea had been floated primarily by far-right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition. There had already been a recent meeting with the Israeli military chief, which insiders described as tense, as he rejected an expansion of the operation.

Foreign Ministry warns: No expulsion of Palestinians

In a statement sent to the APA on Thursday evening, the Foreign Ministry in Vienna expressed"deep concern that a possible expansion of the Israeli military operation to cover all of Gaza will negatively impact the security and supply situation of the Palestinian civilian population and the Israeli hostages." It stated that all sides must return to the negotiating table to ensure a ceasefire, including the release of all hostages and the improvement of the humanitarian situation of the civilian population in Gaza."Gaza must remain Palestinian in the future. There must be no expulsion of the population there."

Protests in Israel against escalation of fighting

Numerous people demonstrated in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other Israeli cities against an escalation of fighting in the Gaza Strip. In Jerusalem, demonstrators gathered in front of Netanyahu's official residence. They demanded an agreement to release the hostages still being held.

Majority in Israel wants agreement

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he wants complete victory over the radical Islamist Hamas, which triggered the war with its attack on Israel from Gaza in October 2023. Polls show that most Israelis want the war to end with an agreement that provides for the release of the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the military will carry out the government's decisions until all war aims are achieved.

According to Israel, there are still 50 hostages in the Gaza Strip, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Most of the hostages released so far were released after diplomatic negotiations. Talks on a ceasefire, which could have led to the release of additional hostages, failed in July.

Palestinian sources recently reported that Hamas had told Arab mediators that an expansion of humanitarian aid in Gaza would lead to a resumption of ceasefire negotiations. Israel, however, accuses Hamas of hijacking aid supplies to distribute to its fighters and sell them in Gaza markets to finance its resistance. Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip for almost two decades and is now considered severely weakened. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, approximately 200 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza since the war began, almost half of them children.