AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Israel says it will expand its war in Gaza to take control of the devastated territory's main city, a major operation that could lead to a full military occupation. The move was announced after a nine-hour meeting of Israel's leadership that stretched through the night, but it's already being slammed by both allies and critics at home.
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LAELLE SCHWER: The war must stop because, first of all, if you don't have aims in a war, so don't do it.
CHANG: That was Laelle Schwer (ph), one of several Israelis outside the Israeli Defense Minister's home today, demanding the return of hostages and an end to the war. Joining us now is NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy. Hi, Aya.
AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing for an expansion of this war all along, despite growing calls from inside the security establishment and others in Israel to end the war. What can you tell us about this decision by the leadership?
BATRAWY: Well, this was a plan adopted by a majority vote of the security cabinet. Now, this cabinet includes two ministers who are settlers leading far-right parties that are helping to keep Netanyahu's governing coalition intact. This move is what they have been pushing for him to do all along. They have called for Israel to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there.
But as you heard also from that Israeli protester, there are people within Israel growing tired of this nearly two-yearlong war, reservists who will be called to return yet again to Gaza to fight. Many want to get on with their lives, and they've questioned the purpose of this war. The vast majority of hostages who have been freed were actually released in ceasefire deals. And you also have hundreds of retired generals and security officials saying Hamas is no longer a strategic threat, and they, too, are calling for the war to end.
CHANG: Right. Meanwhile, we've heard Netanyahu say, this is how to crush Hamas and free the 20 living hostages still being held in Gaza. But what do we know about his plan to do all this?
BATRAWY: Well, the families of hostages - first of all, they say Netanyahu actually doesn't care about freeing their loved ones as much as he cares about keeping his far-right coalition together. Now, the plan calls for the military to take control of all of Gaza city. This is where much of Gaza's 2 million people are sheltering after being pushed out of other areas. The U.N. says, already, 90% of Gaza is either under some kind of displacement order or held by Israeli troops. This decision also states that Israel will have full security over all of Gaza, where it already controls all the borders.
And also, the prime minister's office says, Israel will allow aid to civilians outside of combat zones during the coming offensive, but that is unclear. Again, just a sliver of Gaza's territory is not under Israeli occupation, so where will people be forced to flee to exactly? Already, you have U.N.-backed experts saying that there's a famine unfolding now in Gaza because of Israeli restrictions on aid.
CHANG: Exactly. The situation in Gaza is dire. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in attacks by Israel, and deaths from hunger keep climbing day by day. So what are people in Gaza saying about this decision?
BATRAWY: So NPR's producer Anas Baba - he is in Gaza City, and he woke up, like everyone else, to this news, and he's impacted by what comes next. But he went out onto the streets today, and he asked people for their reaction. Have a listen to what he heard.
MAHMOUD AHMAD: (Non-English language spoken).
BATRAWY: That's Mahmoud Ahmad (ph). He's one of tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians who are sheltering in Gaza City, forced from other parts of the country to Gaza City. He says he's not ready emotionally, physically or financially to be displaced again. He says his body is exhausted. He's barely able to withstand searching for food every day. He said he'd rather die than relocate again. And here, I'll say too, Ailsa, that other people that he asked on the street for their reaction didn't even know of the news because they don't have electricity or even internet.
CHANG: Wow. Meanwhile, there is growing criticism of Israel by its own allies for worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza. What's been the reaction from those countries to this decision to expand the war?
BATRAWY: So the U.K., for example, called this the wrong decision. France said it couldn't support the move because it fuels escalation without offering real solutions. And Germany, Israel's second largest arms supplier after the U.S., announced today it would halt weapon sales to Israel that are used in the war in Gaza. But ultimately, Ailsa, it's President Trump's reaction that carries the most weight, but we've seen him backing Netanyahu at every turn, even as he pushes for the release of hostages.
CHANG: That is NPR's Aya Batrawy. Thank you, Aya.
BATRAWY: Thanks, Ailsa. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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