'More bloodshed': UK, Turkey, China reject Netanyahu's Gaza take-over plan, says THIS about two-state solution

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to take over Gaza City and called it ‘wrong’. He further highlighted that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, and hostages taken by Hamas are living in inhumane conditions. Urging the Israeli government to reconsider the decision, Starmer called for a ‘ceasefire.’ He also said that the step will not bring an end to the ongoing conflict but only bring 'bloodshed.' He renewed his call for disarmament of Hamas and said that it can not play any role in the future of Gaza. Israeli cabinet had earlier approved Netanyahu's plan to 'defeat Hamas' and said that the takeover of Gaza City was primarily to provide humanitarian aid to starving civilians in the area. However, Netanyahu has clarified that he does not intend to annexe Gaza and would want it to be taken over by a "governing body.'

In a statement, he also said, “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 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier announced that the UK would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and meets several other conditions, including recommitting to a viable peace process.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia rejected Netanyahu's plan by lambasting it for the "starvation" and "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in the blockaded territory. Riyadh said it "condemns in the strongest and most forceful terms the decision of the Israeli occupation authorities to occupy the Gaza Strip", in a foreign ministry statement on X. It added that it "categorically condemns its persistence in committing crimes of starvation, brutal practices, and ethnic cleansing against the brotherly Palestinian people". Meanwhile, Belgium also summoned Israeli ambassador over the plan, AFP reported.

Turkey and UN also oppose the Gaza plan

In a statement, Turkey also urged the international community to prevent Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City, saying it was a "heavy blow" to peace and security. "We call on the international community to fulfil its responsibilities to prevent the implementation of this decision, which aims to forcibly displace Palestinians from their own land," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Additionally, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said that Netanyahu's plan must be halted because it is contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible. It also said that the plan is in opposition to the realisation of the “agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination.”

Meanwhile, China also expressed "serious concerns" over Israel's Gaza City take-over plan, urging it to "immediately cease its dangerous actions".

"Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory," a foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP in a message. "The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire," they added.

What is Netanyahu's Gaza plan?

In a statement released by Isareli government, Netanyahu's Gaza plan is covered in five points. It is a plan to defeat the Hamas and "concluding the war". It was approved by a majority vote. Netanyahu had earlier said Israel intended to take over all of the Gaza Strip, but the plan only mentions Gaza City. The plan's objectives include disarmament of Hamas, returning of hostages, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, taking security control of the territory, and establishing "an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority." Notably, the Israel Defense Forces have warned against the plan and said that the operation risks the lives of the remaining hostages in addition to potentially sparking a humanitarian disaster.