Hamas rejects Israel’s Gaza evacuation plan, warns of “genocide”

Hamas announced on Sunday that it rejects Israel’s plan to forcibly relocate Gaza City residents, calling it “a new wave of genocide and displacement” against hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The group described Israel’s plan to set up tents and temporary shelters in southern Gaza as “a blatant deception,” intended to conceal what it called crimes committed under the guise of humanitarian aid.

According to the Israeli military, preparations are underway to supply tents and equipment ahead of relocating residents from conflict zones in the enclave’s north to the south, supposedly “to ensure their safety.”

Hamas argued that the tent plan is a cover for “a brutal crime the occupation forces are preparing to commit,” stressing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government seeks to displace Palestinians as part of a broader “Greater Israel” project, which it claimed also targets Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.

The group called for Palestinian unity, stronger resistance strategies, and active support from Arab and Islamic states to counter Israel’s “aggressive projects” and to defend Palestinian identity and land.

Israeli chief of staff approves Gaza invasion plan

Israel’s state broadcaster KAN reported that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved a military plan to occupy Gaza City during a meeting with senior officers, including Nitzan Alon, the army official overseeing prisoners and missing persons.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz is expected to approve the plan on August 19, with the Israeli security cabinet convening over the weekend to discuss it.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Zamir’s strategy involves deploying around 100,000 IDF soldiers in a swift offensive to seize Gaza City. In the coming days, Israeli ground forces, supported by air strikes, are expected to expand operations into new areas to intensify pressure on Hamas.

Plan to occupy all of Gaza

On August 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet had already approved a plan to occupy northern Gaza, beginning with Gaza City. Netanyahu declared ahead of the meeting that Israel ultimately aims to seize control of the entire Gaza Strip.

KAN also reported that the Israeli army is accelerating preparations to take Gaza City. Other Israeli media outlets confirmed that the military has been instructed to occupy the rest of Gaza, though such operations are not expected to begin before September.

The invasion plan is divided into phases: the first includes capturing Gaza City, displacing about one million Palestinians southward, surrounding the city, and launching heavy bombardments. The second phase envisions the occupation of central refugee camps, much of which has already been reduced to ruins by months of attacks.

Israel occupied Gaza from 1967 until 2005, maintaining control for 38 years. Today, around 2.4 million Palestinians live in the enclave, which has been under a strict blockade for 18 years.