UN Security Council to meet amid growing opposition to Israeli plan to take over entire Gaza Strip

Israel is facing increasing international opposition to its announced plan to take control of Gaza Strip. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to hold a rare meeting on Saturday to discuss the crisis.

"This decision marks a dangerous escalation and risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians, and could further endanger more lives, including of the remaining hostages," UN chief António Guterres’ spokesperson said in a statement.

The official further warned Israel's intended move would "result in additional forced displacement, killings and massive destruction, compounding the unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza."

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel seeks to destroy Hamas but does not seek to control Gaza in the long term.

“We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas,” Netanyahu told Fox News during an interview.

“We don't wanna keep it. We want to have a security perimeter, and we don't want to govern it. We want to give it to Arab forces that will govern it properly and not threaten us,” he added.

In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the Israeli government to reconsider its plan to expand the Israeli military operations in Gaza.

“The Israeli government’s decision to further extend its military operation in Gaza must be reconsidered,” she wrote on 𝕏. Instead, she called for a ceasefire, the release of the Israeli hostages, and “immediate and unhindered access” to humanitarian aid in Gaza.

The president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, condemned Israel's Gaza plan, warning that “such a decision must have consequences” for Israel's ties with the European Union.

“The situation in Gaza remains dramatic, and the decision by the Israeli government will only further worsen it,” Costa stated on 𝕏.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp argued that the Netanyahu government’s Gaza policy is alienating Europeans.

“Netanyahu’s cabinet is losing Europe – totally. We stand with Israel, but not with the policy of the Israeli government,” Veldkamp told Axios journalist, Barak Ravid.

The French Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli military plan, claiming it “would constitute further serious violations of international law and lead to a complete dead end.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed similar sentiments.

“This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages,” Starmer said, adding such military action would “only bring more bloodshed.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney blasted the Israeli government’s decision to expand military operations in Gaza.

“We join many others in viewing that this is wrong, that this action is not going to contribute to an improvement in the humanitarian situation on the ground,” Carney declared.

Germany expressed concerns about the planned military operation as well. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that it was “increasingly difficult to understand” how Israel would achieve its war goals through the new military operation. He then announced that Germany would suspend the delivery of military equipment intended for use in Gaza.

“Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorize any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice,” Merz stated.

Germany – Israel’s second most significant weapons supplier after the United States – has mainly provided military platforms to the Israeli Navy, including submarines and military vessels.

The Chinese government also criticized Israel and argued that only a ceasefire would resolve the conflict.

“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory. The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told the AFP.

Israel is facing mounting criticism from Arab nations, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, urged the global community “to fulfill their responsibilities and put an end to such illegal practices in contravention of international law.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei declared that Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City is “another clear sign of the Zionist regime’s specific intention to ethnically cleanse Gaza and commit genocide against the Palestinians.”

The Iranian regime openly calls for the deaths of the Jewish people and threatens to wipe the State of Israel off the map.