ISTANBUL

Pakistan on Friday "strongly" condemned Israel's plan to militarily take over Gaza City, warning it will "derail any prospect for peace."

The plan "tantamounts to a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on his X account.

"This expansion of military operations will only worsen the already existing humanitarian crisis and derail any prospect for peace in the region," he added.

Sharif called on the international community to "intervene urgently" to stop Israel's "unwarranted aggression," ensure the protection of civilians, and delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, while expressing "unwavering support" for Palestinian rights, including "self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine."

According to Israeli Premier Netanyahu's office, Israeli forces will prepare to occupy Gaza City. The latest satellite imagery reveals that the Israeli military is amassing troops and equipment near the Gaza border, potentially in preparation for a new ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.

Israeli ground operations in Gaza have been ongoing since October 2023, with interruptions during two ceasefires.

The Israeli Security Cabinet also approved five key principles for concluding the war: dismantling the Palestinian group Hamas, securing the return of all hostages—both alive and deceased—demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, ensuring Israeli security control over the area, and establishing a civilian government not led by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

This new operation by Israel, expected to last at least six months, comes despite Tel Aviv facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,000 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, and led to deaths by hunger and starvation.