UN chief says Israel's plan will forcibly displace Palestinians

9/8/2025 5:39

United Nations

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday criticized Israel's

plan to take control of Gaza City, with the U.N. chief's

spokesperson saying the decision marked "a dangerous escalation"

that will result in forced displacement of Palestinians.







WHY IT'S IMPORTANT



Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to take

control of Gaza City to further expand Israel's military

offensive in the Palestinian enclave devastated by nearly a

two-year Israeli assault. The plan drew strong criticism at home

and abroad on Friday.



When asked by Fox News' Bill Hemmer on Thursday if Israel

would take over the entire coastal territory, Israeli Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "we intend to."







KEY QUOTES



"This decision marks a dangerous escalation and risks

deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of

Palestinians, and could further endanger more lives, including

of the remaining hostages," the U.N. chief's spokesperson said

in a statement.



That decision "will result in additional forced

displacement, killings and massive destruction, compounding the

unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza,"

the statement added. Forced displacement is illegal under

international law.







CONTEXT

Gaza's health ministry says Israel's military assault has killed

more than 61,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger

crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and

prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of

Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

Israel denies the accusations.

Israel's offensive followed an October 2023 attack in which

Palestinian Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about

250 hostages, Israeli tallies show. That attack sparked the

latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian

conflict.