Key Points

"The Portuguese government is deeply concerned about the new plan by the Israeli government to take over Gaza. The decision undermines efforts to achieve a ceasefire and worsens the humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip," the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on the social media platform X.

The ministry called for the suspension of the plan, the release of hostages, and the urgent entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Israel's Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Friday.

Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has called on Israel government to halt the plan for a complete military takeover of Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Turk stated, "The Israeli Government's plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza strip must be immediately halted. It runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realisation of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination."

"On all evidence to date, this further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes," he added.

He stated that the war in Gaza "must end now" and people of Israel and Palestine must be allowed to live side by side in peace. He called for the release of hostages and flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza Strip.

He stated, "Instead of intensifying this war, the Israeli Government should put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza's civilians by allowing the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid. The hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released by Palestinian armed groups. Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must also be immediately and unconditionally released."

On Friday, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that security cabinet had approved plan for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to take over Gaza City.

In a statement, Israel PM's office said that Israel will provide humanitarian aid to the people residing outside combat zones on what it termed the decision taken by the cabinet to back Netanyahu's "proposal to defeat Hamas."

Most of the cabinet members supported list of five principles that Israel will demand in exchange for ending the war with Hamas, the Israel PM's office said. According to the statement, the demands include: the disarmament of Hamas, the return of all 50 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, the existence of an alternative civilian government that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, The Times of Israel reported.

According to the Israel PM's office, majority of ministers believed that the alternative plan presented to the security cabinet would not have secured the defeat of Hamas or the return of the hostages. Gaza City is part of the 25 per cent of the Strip that the IDF is yet to conquer, in addition to several refugee camps in central Gaza.

- IANS