6m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 8:09pm
Is the cabinet meeting still happening?
Yes, this meeting started, around or just after 6pm local time.
As my colleague Matthew Doran tells us, it’s now around 11pm local time and that meeting is still ongoing.
The security cabinet session follows a meeting earlier this week with the head of the military, which Israeli officials have described as tense, saying the military chief had pushed back on expanding the campaign.
10m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 8:05pm
Former hostages attend rally in Jerusalem
Also in the crowd of protesters are some former hostages from the October 7 attack.
Sharon Cunio, whose husband David is still held in Gaza, and Arbel Yehud were among the former hostages who attended the rally.
Yehud’s partner Ariel — David Cunio’s brother — is also still in captivity, one of 49 hostages in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
In Jerusalem, Cunio and Yehud held a banner with photos of their partners that read: “Bring back our loved ones.”
Reporting with AFPÂ
17m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 7:58pm
Hundreds of protesters block streets in Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, hundreds blocked the streets outside the Prime Minister’s Offices in the heart of the city to protest against the expansion of the war in Gaza.
Armed with drums, whistles and horns, the crowd tried to make their voices heard as the security cabinet met inside the compound.
“We can’t accept it, it does not represent me or the other people here, all that this government is doing,” protester Michal Goren told the ABC.
(ABC News: Hamish Harty)
“It’s so sad, and I’m so afraid that they will take Gaza, and all the hostages will die — it’s very sad, this situation.”
Fellow protestor Nadav Hellman said the prime minister was not listening to the community.
“I’m worried about the 50 people that are right now dying in the tunnels,” he said.
“The reason for this war is for the survival of the Netanyahu coalition.
“If they make this decision, what will happen is more soldiers, young men will die, and the people in the tunnels will also die.
“Netanyahu is a terrible person, in my opinion.”
(ABC News: Hamish Harty)
25m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 7:50pm
Plan’s second step could be occupation of Gaza camps: Israeli media
Israeli media says the cabinet is expected to vote on the occupation of Gaza first.
The occupation of camps in the central Gaza Strip is expected to be the second step, Channel 12 is reporting.
They say the goal is to “put pressure on Hamas and bring it back to the negotiating table”.
32m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 7:43pmHamas calls the plan a ‘blatant coup’
Hamas says the proposal is “a blatant coup” against the negotiation process.
“Netanyahu’s plans to expand the aggression confirm beyond any doubt that he seeks to get rid of his captives and sacrifice them,” it said in a statement.
Arab countries would “only support what Palestinians agree and decide on,” a Jordanian official source told Reuters, adding that security in Gaza should be handled through “legitimate Palestinian institutions”.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera Mubasher the group would treat any force formed to govern Gaza as an “occupying” force linked to Israel.
Reporting with ReutersÂ
38m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 7:37pm’Breaks you’: Gazans react to Netanyahu’s proposal
News of the Netanyahu proposal to occupy Gaza quickly spread through the bombed-out streets of the strip, even before the security cabinet meeting got underway.
It stoked fear throughout a war-weary community, deeply struggling with the toll of 22 months of war.
“I live in a tent, dumped in the street, but the upcoming situation is going to be worse because of what they are capable of implementing,” 35-year-old Jaber Abu Odeh told the ABC.
Jaber Abu Oden is originally from Beit Hanoun but has been forced to relocate. (ABC News )
He is originally from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, but had been forced to relocate to the central areas of the strip.
“The US is with them, the West is with them, and the world is with them,” he said.
“They have fighter jets from above and an army from below, and from all directions.”
Adel Shomali says the fear is the situation will become worse. (ABC News )
Adel Shomali, 40, said the prospect of being forced to move again “breaks you”.
“It’s enough the displacement from the beginning of the war until the last ceasefire, and we were displaced from Gaza City to the South and then back to Gaza City,” he said.
“There is fear from this situation, God willing, it won’t happen.
“The fear this time is that it will become worse, and if there are new incursions, there will be more destruction.”
45m agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 7:30pmIn pictures: Protesters in Tel Aviv call for war’s end
The protesters are demanding an immediate release of the hostages and an end to the war.
(Reuters: Ammar Awad)
(Reuters: Ammar Awad)
(Reuters: Ammar Awad)
1h agoThu 7 Aug 2025 at 7:04pm
Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full control of Gaza
Good morning,
I’m Tessa Flemming, and I’ll help bring you the latest from Israel this morning.
Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full control of Gaza and hand it over to Arab forces to govern.
The comments were made right before a meeting of senior ministers to debate Israel’s next steps in the Palestinian territory.
We’ll bring you the latest updates as they arrive.