ANKARA

Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Friday condemned the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision to occupy Gaza City as a “war crime and an act of ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians in the besieged territory.

In a statement, the group said Israel’s incursion would “not be a picnic” and warned it would “pay a heavy price” for its military adventure in Gaza.

Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his “Nazi government of showing no concern for the fate of Israeli hostages in Gaza,” saying the expansion of the war amounts to a “calculated decision to sacrifice” them.

The group also dismissed Israel’s attempt to replace the term “occupation” with “control,” describing it as a “blatant evasion aimed at avoiding legal responsibility for its crimes” against nearly 1 million Palestinians in the city.

Israel’s Security Cabinet has deliberately avoided using the term “occupation” in reference to the Gaza Strip in its latest official decisions opting instead for “control,” a move legal analysts say is aimed at evading international legal responsibilities toward Palestinian civilians.

Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,000 people since the October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.