Israel's planned Gaza City offensive sparks protests, condemnation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday that his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, the capital city of Gaza and one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already control.

"Those who call today for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again," Netanyahu said.

The announcement came just a day after Israel revealed plans to evacuate Gaza City residents to the south, signaling preparations for a renewed offensive in the north.

Those decisions have sparked widespread condemnation, drawing protests and criticism both domestically and internationally.

Israeli protests: 'Path of war will not lead to any solution'

Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Sunday, demanding that Netanyahu secure a deal with Hamas to end the Gaza war and release the remaining hostages.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organized the demonstrations, stated that hundreds of thousands of people participated in rallies at more than 300 locations across the country.

Critics fear the operation, aimed at seizing Gaza City and central Gaza, could endanger the 49 hostages still held there.

Protesters carried Israeli flags alongside yellow banners symbolizing the hostage struggle, chanting slogans and banging drums.

"The conquest of Gaza = death sentence for the hostages," read one placard. "We don't win a war over the bodies of hostages," protesters chanted.

Gadi Moses, a former hostage, told demonstrators that "the path of war will not lead to any solution." He rejected calls to "eliminate Hamas," warning that another group would always emerge. Moses urged leaders to adopt "a rational plan that will bring benefit to the Palestinian people and ensure prosperity and security for us."

"We need an agreement that will satisfy both sides, so neither will be afraid," Moses said.

Condemnations: 'Historical injustice'

On Sunday, Hamas called the Israeli plan criminal, saying it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Gaza City.

Egypt on Sunday reiterated its categorical rejection of any Israeli plans to displace Palestinians, warning that such moves would amount to "a historical injustice with no moral or legal justification" and constitute "a heinous crime." 

The country's Foreign Ministry voiced "grave concern" over reports that Israel had consulted with certain countries about accepting Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. It described the discussions as part of "a rejected Israeli policy aimed at emptying Palestinian land of its inhabitants, occupying it, and liquidating the Palestinian cause."

Cairo said its contacts with the countries concerned confirmed their rejection of such schemes. Egypt "fully rejects displacement, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, whether forced or voluntary through starvation, land confiscation, settlement and rendering life untenable on Palestinian soil," the statement said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry also condemned what it called Israel's decision to "forcefully" relocate Palestinians from Gaza City.

In a statement, Tehran said the move represented "a clear instance of war crimes and crimes against humanity, aimed at nothing but completing the genocide plan and the elimination of Palestine as a nation and identity."

So far, indirect ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel have stalled, despite ongoing efforts by mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States to continue the talks and halt the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

(With input from agencies)