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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Ceasefire deal not on agenda as Israel’s security cabinet discusses
looming Gaza City offensive
By Tal Shalev, CNN
Updated:
2:18 PM EDT, Sun August 31, 2025
Source: CNN
The Israeli security cabinet convened on Sunday to review plans for
seizing control of , as the government faces mounting international
pressure and unprecedented domestic opposition, even from Israel’s
own security leaders.
The review is merely a formal update for the full security cabinet, as
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel
Katz already approved the IDF’s plans earlier this month. But it
comes as Israel faces a crucial few weeks at home and abroad.
Alongside the planned military escalation, Netanyahu and the cabinet
– made up of senior officials including Katz and far-right National
Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir - are expected to discuss a
diplomatic offensive in response to the anticipated wave of recognition
for Palestinian statehood at
Netanyahu is considering measures ranging from full annexation of the
West Bank, to partial annexation of selected settlements, to
sanctioning the Palestinian Authority, according to two Israeli
officials.
Annexing any part of the occupied West Bank by applying Israeli
sovereignty would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and
spark an enormous diplomatic backlash. But it’s exactly what
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners are demanding.
As it considers what steps to take in the West Bank, the Israeli
government is pushing forward with the military assault on Gaza City
despite growing pressue to pursue a diplomatic route would end the
nearly two-year war.
The Israeli military carried out intense strikes in and around Gaza
City in recent days as it prepares to take over and occupy the city
itself.
At least 47 people were killed in Gaza City alone on Saturday,
according to Gaza hospital figures. An additional 24 people were killed
in Gaza City since Sunday morning, figures showed.
Hamas continues to have a presence in Gaza despite nearly two years of
fighting and one of the latest Israel attacks killed Hamas spokesperson
Abu Obaida, Katz said.
“Soon, as the campaign in Gaza intensifies, many more of his partners
in crime - the murderers and rapists of Hamas - will join him there,”
he added.
Hamas did not immediately comment on Israel’s claim that Abu Obaida
had been killed.
The attacks also come amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the
battered enclave, as the Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday
that another seven people died of malnutrition, bringing the total
deaths from malnutrition to 339.
Ceasefire low on Netanyahu’s priorities
The most significant opposition to Israel’s takeover of Gaza City is
the country’s security establishment, led by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal
Zamir, who has warned Netanyahu and his cabinet that the Gaza City
offensive will endanger the remaining hostages, risk soldiers’ lives,
and deepen the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Two Israeli sources told CNN that Zamir’s main concern and focus is
the fate of the hostages, and he is expected to urge the cabinet to
discuss negotiations on the latest ceasefire proposal before escalating
the war. The sources said this position is endorsed by most of the
heads of other security agencies, as well.
Earlier this month Hamas accepted the Qatari and Egyptian mediators
most recent offer for a 60-day temporary ceasefire, during which 10 of
the living hostages would be returned in exchange for a mass release of
Palestinian prisoners. The offer is based on a similar proposal
presented by the US special envoy Steve Witkoff in July, originally
crafted in coordination with Israel.
However, Netanyahu, in coordination with the White House, has recently
shifted strategy. After months of insisting on negotiating only phased
and partial frameworks, he now says he is willing to discuss only a
comprehensive deal that would release all of the hostages and end the
war on Israeli terms and conditions.
As a result, Israel still hasn’t responded to Hamas’s acceptance of
the Qatari-Egyptian proposal on August 18.
According to two senior Israeli officials, Netanyahu does not intend to
raise the negotiations in Sunday’s cabinet meeting as well, though
the issue may come up during the presentation on Gaza City. The fact
that the deal isn’t formally on the agenda indicates how low the
proposal is on Netanyahu’s priority list.
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