Image source, EPA

Israel's decision to extend its military operation in Gaza "must be reconsidered", says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In a post on X, von der Leyen also writes that all hostages "who are being held in inhumane conditions" must be released.

"Humanitarian aid must be given immediate and unhindered access to Gaza to deliver what is urgently needed on the ground."

"A ceasefire is needed now," she says.

• Also take a look at our earlier post on other international reactions

Germany's halt to arms exports a significant steppublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 8 August

12:55 BST 8 August

Bethany Bell
Reporting from Munich

Germany is one of Israel’s staunchest allies - Berlin's diplomatic support for Israel is often described as a matter of historic responsibility, because of the Holocaust.

Speaking before the Nato summit in June, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “our raison d’état is the defence of Israel’s existence”. So the decision to halt exports of military arms that could be used in Gaza is a big step.

Germany is the second biggest exporter of arms to Israel after the United States.

According to Sipri, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, between 2020 - 2024 Germany supplied 33% of Israel’s arms imports (after the US with 66%). This was mainly naval equipment (frigates, torpedoes), but also armoured trucks, anti-tank weapons, and ammunition.

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Berlin will halt the export of weapons that could be used in Gaza to Israel, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls Israel's decision "wrong".

But Germany and the UK aren't the only countries responding. Here are some more voices from around the world.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp describes the Israeli government's plans to "intensify operations in Gaza" as "a wrong move", saying it will "not help to get the hostages home".

China's foreign ministry says "Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory", and calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Denmark says Israel's decision to intensify its military operation in Gaza should be reversed.

Image source, Reuters

Germany - along with other countries including the UK - has been responding to Israel’s approved plans to take control of Gaza City.

Here’s a quick recap of what’s been happening:

• The Israeli prime minister’s office released a statement approving a plan to take control of Gaza City, including "five principals for ending the war"
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says his government will not approve any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice
• In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the decision to further escalate the offensive in Gaza “wrong” and urges Israel to reconsider
• United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk warns that further escalation “will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes”
• Our international editor Jeremy Bowen questions whether further military action can force Hamas into defeat: Hamas is now an insurgency and if you look at history, it’s very hard for a regular army to defeat an insurgency
• In Israel, families of hostages say Israel's plan is "endangering the hostages" in Gaza, we've heard mixed reaction from residents - some accuse Hamas of sacrificing them in a losing battle, while others remain defiant

We’ll keep bringing you the latest updates and analysis as we get them.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany will suspend its arms exports to Israel which could be used in the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz says in reaction to Israel's plans to takeover Gaza City.

Speaking moments ago, Merz says his government will not approve any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice.

Merz says it was "increasingly difficult to understand" how the Israeli military plan would help achieve legitimate aims, adding: "Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice."

Historically, Germany has been one of the largest arms suppliers to Israel.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri),, external a research institute that looks into conflict and armaments, the US was Israel's largest supplier of military imports in the period between 2020-2024, with Germany the second largest.

What are your questions on Israel's plan to take over Gaza city? Our experts will be answering your queries on the BBC News channel today from 15:30 BST.

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Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, reporting from Istanbul

Image source, Reuters

The office of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, has condemned the Israeli security cabinet's decision, calling it a “full-fledged crime” and a violation of international law.

In a statement, the presidency warned the move would cause an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe" and accused Israel of pursuing policies of “genocide, killing, starvation and blockade".

It said the Palestinian people would not accept any imposed realities by force and reaffirmed their right to self-determination and an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The statement said the Palestinian leadership would urgently approach the UN Security Council and seek emergency meetings of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

It also urged US President Donald Trump to intervene to stop the plan and push for a permanent peace.

For context: The PA, which is led by Abbas and dominated by his Fatah movement, has only governed parts of the West Bank since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, a year after it won legislative elections.

The PA's leadership has regularly insisted it is ready to take over running post-war Gaza. But it has been criticised by Palestinians for not speaking out enough or taking effective action.

We've been hearing reaction from people living in Israel following the security council's announcement this morning.

Image source, Reuters

Tel Aviv resident Danny Bukovsky tells the Reuters news agency that the government has made the “wrong decision” to expand its military offensive at this time.

“I think it’s a death sentence to all the hostages that are still being held there,” he says.

Bukovsky says the government should aim to bring hostages home safely in the first instance.

“Afterwards, if they decide to take over the entire Gaza Strip, it’s their decision,” he says.

Image source, Reuters

Another Tel Aviv local, Talya Saltzman, tells Reuters that the conflict in Gaza “needs to end because so many soldiers are dying”.

“It just doesn’t seem like there’s any clear plan moving forward,” she says.

“I know the plan is to get rid of Hamas, but we’ve been trying for two whole years. We haven’t made that much progress. And we’ve lost so many soldiers and we still haven’t brought all the hostages home,” she adds.

Jeremy Bowen
International editor reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Reuters

Israel is a very leaky country and people in the cabinet, in the security services and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) leak to their favourite Israeli journalist sometimes hourly.

There have been some reports that the Americans had given the go-ahead for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take over Gaza City.

But it is worth noting that NBC News reported a fiery phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu at the end of July.

According to reports, Trump was shouting at Netanyahu when the latter asserted the Israeli line – that really there isn’t any starvation in Gaza – and Trump reportedly replied that this was not true, and his aides had shown him proof that children there are starving.

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent reporting from Istanbul

Residents of Gaza say they are reeling from Israel’s decision to “take control” of the territory's biggest city, a move many feared but had still hoped might be avoided.

While the announcement by Israel’s security cabinet came as no surprise, some Gazans had clung to the hope of a “miracle” that could spare them from what they see as a new nightmare.

Reactions among residents were mixed. Some expressed deep anxiety about an uncertain future; others insisted they would not flee south again, while a number vented anger at Hamas, accusing it of sacrificing them in a losing battle.

Mohammed Imran from Khan Younis said the change in terminology from “occupation” to “control” made little difference.

“Replace the word ‘occupation’ with ‘control’ – the meaning and the result are the same: destruction and displacement,” he told the BBC.

“The Israeli cabinet has adopted Netanyahu’s recommendation to take control of Gaza. We have nothing but God as long as those holding power in Gaza (Hamas) have lost their minds.”

Image source, Reuters

Ehab al-Helou, an activist and social media influencer, was even more scathing.

“I swear to God, Hamas leaders are living in a science fiction world. Have mercy on the people. Who are you to decide to sacrifice us?” he posted online.

Sabrine Mahmoud said she would refuse to leave her home under any circumstances.

“I will not leave my house. We will not live through displacement again. We left Gaza City for a whole year and endured the harshest humiliation in al-Mawasi. We will not repeat the mistake. Let them destroy the house over our heads – we will not leave.”

Ian Aikman
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Much is still unclear about Israel's plan to take over Gaza City, which its security cabinet approved after a long meeting last night.

Here’s what we know so far, and what we don’t.

What we know

• Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office says the military will “prepare to take control of Gaza City”

• This is likely the first phase of a full takeover of the Gaza Strip, which could take months, our Middle East correspondent writes

• Before the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he wants Israel to control all of Gaza, but he does "not want to keep it"

• The cabinet approved the plan after rejecting an alternative plan, which it said was inferior
• It also approved "five principles for ending the war", which include establishing a post-war "civilian government" that is "not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority"

What we don’t know

• Israel has not said when the takeover will begin; reports in Israeli media say the military will not move into Gaza City immediately and will instead order residents to evacuate first
• The cabinet also agreed Israel will be "providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones"; it is unclear if this is new aid, and if it will be delivered by the controversial Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation or another mechanism
• The next phases of a potential full Gaza Strip takeover have not been announced

• We don’t know what was in the rejected alternative plan, but Israeli media reports it was a more limited proposal from the army's chief of staff, and we also don't yet have more detail on Israel's plan for Gaza's post-takeover government

• Hamas not yet responded to the plan, so its next move is not known

We'll continue to bring you the latest updates and analysis right here as we get it.

Image source, EPA

Let's now turn to international reaction following the announcement that Israel plans to take over Gaza City, further escalating its ongoing offensive in the territory.

United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk says "the war in Gaza must end now" and warns that further escalation "will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes".

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong urges Israel "not to go down this path", saying it will "only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calls Israel's escalation "wrong" and "will only bring more bloodshed".

Turkey's foreign ministry is urging the international community to prevent Israel's plan, saying the decision if it goes ahead aims to "forcibly displace Palestinians from their own land".

Meanwhile, Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says she hopes for an immediate Gaza ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages.

Will Israel’s takeover of Gaza City force Hamas into defeat?published at 09:29 British Summer Time 8 August

09:29 BST 8 August

Jeremy Bowen
International editor reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

First of all, you have to ask: What more can Israel do to Hamas?

The entire leadership in Gaza, down several levels, is dead. They are no longer a military organisation capable of attacking Israel as they did on 7 October.

I was discussing this with a senior Western official who pointed out that Hamas is an organisation that is about resistance and sacrifice.

From the very beginning, the Israelis have been saying more military pressure is going to destroy them. So far, that hasn’t happened.

Hamas is an acronym in Arabic for the Islamic resistance movement so, as this diplomat was saying, they believe in resistance, they believe in sacrifice so, the official asks: Why give them more martyrs?

Hamas is now an insurgency and if you look at history, it’s very hard for a regular army to defeat an insurgency.

Think about Vietnam, Iraq for the US and Algeria for the French, as well as numerous examples in Britain’s colonial history. Military force alone does not work. You need the political dimension and right now there is none.

If you want to fight an ideology like Hamas, the argument is that you need to present a better ideology, some better options and that has not yet come into fruition.

Image source, Getty Images

We've seen a statement this morning from Hostages and Missing Families Forum: Bring Them Home Now about the Israeli cabinet's plans to take control of Gaza City. It says "the expansion of fighting only further endangers those still held in Gaza's tunnels".

The forum, which provides support to the families of people taken hostage in the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas, accuses the security cabinet of ignoring "repeated warnings from military leadership and the clear will of the majority of the Israeli public". It leaves the families' loved ones "at the mercy of Hamas", the forum adds.

Referring to footage recently released by Hamas of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski - hostages still held in Gaza since 7 October 2023 - the forum says: "They don't have any time left. We can't leave them in the hands of these monsters any longer."

In its statement this morning, the forum urges the people of Israel to "stop this dangerous course of action", adding that the Israeli government is "leading us toward a colossal catastrophe for both the hostages and our soldiers".

"The cabinet chose last night to embark on another march of recklessness, on the backs of the hostages, the soldiers, and Israeli society as a whole. But it is still not too late," they add.

Israel’s security cabinet, also known as the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs, is responsible for guiding Israel’s national security and foreign policies. It is a smaller body than the full cabinet and, besides the prime minister, it must include ministers of defence, foreign affairs, justice, finance and national security.

The prime minister can also appoint additional ministers to the body, provided the overall number of members does not exceed half of the number of ministers in the full cabinet.

Various leaders of parties in the governing coalition and other senior lawmakers are in the current security cabinet.

They currently include far-right leaders National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oppose the Gaza ceasefire deal and have threatened to quit over it.

Clashes between Israel's army chief and security cabinet, local media reportspublished at 08:51 British Summer Time 8 August

08:51 BST 8 August

Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

Reports in Israeli media say there were heated confrontations between the army’s chief of staff and members of the security cabinet in the 10-hour meeting that approved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plans for an expansion of the military offensive in Gaza.

According to the Ynet news website, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir voiced his strong opposition to a full takeover of Gaza, which effectively means occupation. He warned of the consequences of displacing one million Palestinians living in the areas expected to be targeted and possible harm to the 20 hostages who are believed to be alive.

Zamir also raised concerns about the burden on the military, exhausted after almost two years of war with reservists having served multiple times in Gaza.

Image source, Reuters

It is not clear when the offensive, which is likely to take months, will start. The military will have to call up thousands of forces and allow the forced evacuation of civilians. Many, if not most, have already been displaced multiple times. There are concerns already that an expanded offensive will result in more Palestinians being killed.

Yesterday, the Ma’ariv newspaper reported that the “prevailing assessment is that most and possibly all of the living hostages [will] die” during any expanded offensive, either killed by their captors or accidentally by Israeli soldiers.

The takeover of Gaza City is likely to be the first step in the prime minister’s plan for the military to secure full control of Gaza. The statement released by his office did not use the word “occupation” which, according to Ynet, was due to legal reasons related to responsibility for civilian matters.

Experts are likely to say that this does not change Israel’s obligations: under international law, as an occupying force, Israel must consider the needs of the local population.

Image source, PA Media

The father of a hostage held captive by Hamas says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to expand the offensive in Gaza is putting his son in danger.

"It is endangering my son and other living hostages. It is endangering the hostages and prolonging their suffering," Yehuda Cohen tells the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.

His son Nimrod, was 19 years old when he was abducted and taken hostage during Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack.

Cohen alleges Netanyahu "prefers the hostages dead because it will make it easier for him".

"Once you convince everybody they are all dead, you can say we can go for brute force in the Gaza Strip," he says.

Netanyahu said last week that efforts to return all the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza "will continue constantly and relentlessly".

Image source, Reuters

There has already been a "huge public backlash" in Israel against Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza City, an Israeli journalist tells the BBC.

Tal Schneider, political correspondent at the Times of Israel, says there is "huge discontent" in Israel, with people taking to the streets at dozens of locations last night to protest against the government.

"The government is taking steps that are very, very unpopular," she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"All public polling suggests that the public is very much against this step," she says, adding that Netanyahu appears to be in a "bubble or a cocoon".

The government is "stuck in this mindset of more forceful measures, instead of going or a diplomatic or political solution", she adds.

Image source, PA Media

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calls the Israeli security cabinet's decision to "further escalate its offensive" in Gaza "wrong" and urges the government to reconsider immediately.

"This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed," he says.

"Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions.

"What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm."

He goes on to say: "Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis.

"But without both sides engaging in good faith in negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes.

"Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction.”

The UK government thinks Israel has made the wrong decision with its plan to take over Gaza City, a minister tells the BBC.

"We think that the decision is the wrong one. We think it'll escalate an already intolerable situation and will lead to more bloodshed," says Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh.

"We're hoping the Israeli government will reconsider," she adds.

The UK's priority is to continue working towards a ceasefire in Gaza, get more aid into the territory and to "get the hostages out", she says.