The Israeli cabinet has approved plans to occupy Gaza City and expand military operations, following a 10-hour security meeting. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the army will "prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to civilians outside combat zones."
The cabinet endorsed five principles for ending the war, which do not prioritize the release of hostages. These include disarming Hamas, retrieving all Israeli captives (dead or alive), demilitarizing Gaza, ensuring Israeli security control, and establishing a non-Hamas, non-Palestinian Authority government.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that the decision to occupy Gaza is a "disaster that will lead to many more disasters."