{"id":85385,"date":"2025-08-22T16:16:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T16:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/85385\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T16:16:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T16:16:06","slug":"friday-briefing-is-israels-plan-for-gaza-city-a-full-scale-assault-or-political-theatre-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/85385\/","title":{"rendered":"Friday briefing: Is Israel\u2019s plan for Gaza City a full-scale assault \u2013 or political theatre? | Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning. Israel claims to have launched the first stages of a sweeping military operation to conquer Gaza City \u2013 the administrative heart of the strip \u2013 warning that a million people could be forced from their homes<\/a>, sparking a wave of fear among residents.<\/p>\n

In the past few nights Palestinians have described relentless bombardments, with thousands already scrambling to escape, while others are too starved or frail to evacuate.<\/p>\n

International condemnation has poured in, with disgust at the starvation, destruction and mounting civilian toll \u2013 in Israel, hundreds of thousands of protesters have filled the streets<\/a> demanding a ceasefire. Yet the military is doubling down on attacks.<\/p>\n

Officials have made daily announcements about the plan to conquer Gaza City, but it remains unclear whether a full-scale offensive is actually afoot. For today\u2019s newsletter I spoke with senior international reporter Peter Beaumont to get a clearer idea of Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s plan and how much of what he says can be trusted. That\u2019s after the headlines.<\/p>\n

Five big stories<\/p>\n

UK news | Protesters at the next mass demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action will withhold their details<\/a> from officers to force en-masse processing at police stations in an effort to make it \u201cpractically impossible\u201d to arrest everyone.<\/p>\n

Ukraine | Moscow threw Donald Trump\u2019s Ukraine peace initiative<\/a> into disarray on Thursday, insisting it must have a veto over any postwar support for the country as its forces carried out a large-scale overnight missile barrage.<\/p>\n

Immigration | Refugee support organisations have been forced to install safe rooms in their premises, relocate to less visible sites and in some cases close their offices in response to the threat of far-right violence, the Guardian can reveal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

US news | A federal judge in Miami late on Thursday ordered the closure<\/a> of the Trump administration\u2019s notorious \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d immigration jail within 60 days and ruled that no more detainees were to be brought to the facility while it was being wound down.<\/p>\n

Health | Baby food manufacturers have been given 18 months to improve the quality of their products<\/a> in England amid mounting concerns that leading brands are nutritionally poor.<\/p>\n

In depth: \u2018Experienced Israeli analysts seem genuinely baffled about what\u2019s going on\u2019A displaced Palestinian girl stands next to rubble and debris after an Israeli strike on at a camp for internally displaced people in Deir el-Balah. Photograph: Eyad Baba\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

In early August, Israel\u2019s political\u2011security cabinet approved a military plan to take control of Gaza City, which they claim is a Hamas stronghold. The plan involves the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists starting from early September.<\/p>\n

Sources from the Gaza municipality say that the situation in Gaza City is \u201ccatastrophic\u201d. The population is extremely weak and many are unlikely to have the strength to undergo another displacement. \u201cWe were talking to a friend in Gaza yesterday who was saying you won\u2019t recognise me any more, I\u2019ve lost so much weight,\u201d said Peter Beaumont. \u201cSome are leaving Gaza City, but other people say they just can\u2019t do it any more.\u201d The military claims it is displacing the population \u201cto ensure their safety<\/a>\u201d. It has not said when the mass displacement would begin, but medics have been told to prepare<\/a> by the Israeli military.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe IDF hasn\u2019t made preparations to accommodate the displacement of a million people. It just hasn\u2019t. It isn\u2019t effectively feeding and caring for the people who are already displaced,\u201d Peter said.<\/p>\n

Five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza have been civilians, figures from a classified Israeli military intelligence database<\/a> suggest. This extreme rate of slaughter has been rarely matched in recent decades of warfare. The UN humanitarian agency has warned the Israeli plan to expand military operations in Gaza City \u2013 home to around 500,000 people<\/a> \u2013 would have \u201ca horrific humanitarian impact\u201d.<\/p>\n

Truth, lies, and calculated misdirection<\/p>\n

Israeli officials have made announcements saying the plan to conquer Gaza City has been \u201capproved\u201d, with preliminary actions already under way. \u201cEverything that\u2019s been said about this operation at the moment has to be taken with a pinch of salt,\u201d said Peter, who wrote yesterday that when dealing with Israeli officials \u2013 and Netanyahu in particular \u2013 filtering out what is true, what is lies, and what is calculated misdirection is a complicated business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The talk of a large-scale IDF operation could primarily be intended to put pressure on the militant group in ceasefire talks. \u201cAll that\u2019s actually happened is that they\u2019re renewing the availability of reservists. All it means is that they\u2019ve been told to be available for call-up,\u201d said Peter. \u201cOne should always be very cautious about what is being said, especially in statements that are clearly fishing for headlines.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Thursday evening Netanyahu said on a visit to Israeli soldiers that he would give final approval<\/a> for taking control of Gaza City, but also said he was looking to restart negotiations with Hamas to end the war on terms acceptable to Israel. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty incoherent leadership,\u201d says Peter.<\/p>\n

Politically it seems like a strange move from the Israeli PM. \u201cIt\u2019s not clear to me how the politics of it plays out,\u201d said Peter. \u201cExperienced Israeli analysts who have been covering security and Netanyahu for years seem genuinely baffled about what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

One key point is that the public are against the takeover of Gaza City as they understand it will likely lead to the death of the surviving 20 hostages, with relatives describing it as a \u201cdeath sentence<\/a>\u201d for them. Another is that the ceasefire deal Hamas has agreed to is essentially the same<\/a> as the one Israel signalled its agreement for only weeks ago. Hamas said Israel\u2019s plans to conquer Gaza City showed its \u201cblatant disregard\u201d for efforts to broker a truce.<\/p>\n

\u201cNormal people are getting tired,\u201d Peter said. \u201cNetanyahu hasn\u2019t delivered any of the successes he claimed he would, and we\u2019re nearly two years into a war.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the end of 2024 \u2013 now more than eight months ago \u2013 the economic toll of Israel\u2019s ongoing war on Gaza had already reached $67.57bn<\/a>. \u201cThe cost of maintaining it is hurting Israel economically. It\u2019s a small country with a relatively small number of soldiers and reservists available to it. People are getting exhausted by the war,\u201d said Peter. There are reports of suicides among soldiers<\/a>, and complaints that they are not getting treatment for PTSD.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael\u2019s response, as far as I can see, is just simply to be more and more aggressive,\u201d said Peter \u2013 perhaps epitomised by a social media post from the Israeli ambassador to Canada<\/a> at the end of July: \u201cIsrael will not bow to the distorted campaign of international pressure against it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very hard to see what victory Netanyahu could wrap himself in, which is presumably why he\u2019s talking about pressing on with the Gaza City plan,\u201d said Peter. \u201cIt\u2019s about the sunk cost fallacy: \u2018Just one more effort will get us to that other thing\u2019.\u201d Or so he hopes it will.<\/p>\n

An impending avalanche<\/p>\n

If the operation to conquer Gaza City does go ahead, it will lead to humanitarian disaster, said Peter. \u201cIf you think international criticism is bad at the moment, it will be an absolute avalanche,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

On 8 August, Germany announced<\/a> it was halting its export of arms to Israel following announcement of the Gaza City plan, indicating a significant shift in Berlin\u2019s staunch support for Israel, with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, just one of a number of European leaders<\/a> to condemn the decision after Netanyahu first announced<\/a> his offensive on Gaza City despite intense international pressure to reach a ceasefire agreement.<\/p>\n

On the ground in Gaza City, people have spoken of their terror of what is to come following relentless overnight bombardments. \u201cThe house shakes with us all night long \u2013 the sound of explosions, artillery, warplanes, ambulances, and cries for help is killing us,\u201d one resident, Ahmad al-Shanti, told AFP. \u201cThe sound is getting closer, but where would we go?\u201d<\/p>\n

And as all of this plays out on the world stage, international outrage is growing \u2013 indicating that perhaps world leaders will soon no longer be willing to look away.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the old certainties for governments \u2013 about having to try and accommodate Israeli aggression \u2013 are falling away,\u201d Peter said. \u201cGiven where public opinion is and given how privately sick many politicians are of all this now, I think it would be very hard to see Israel avoiding big, meaningful sanctions going forward. And I think even Israelis recognise that.\u201d<\/p>\n

What else we\u2019ve been readingTorgi Squire uploaded a TikTok post complaining about the Scottish weather that has delighted African Americans. Photograph: Torgi Squire\/TikTok<\/p>\n

A Glaswegian teacher\u2019s good-natured rant<\/a> about Scottish summer weather has sparked a global conversation about history, diaspora and diversity. Tara Russell, newsletters team<\/p>\n

There are some amazing human stories wrapped into this piece<\/a> on Russia\u2019s deliberate attacks on Ukraine\u2019s maternity hospitals which left women terrified of childbirth. Ukraine now has the world\u2019s lowest birthrate, with three deaths for every birth. Phoebe<\/p>\n

Ayman Alhussein articulates the reality<\/a> of being vilified for being an asylum seeker in Britain. As open and explicit racism is on the rise in Britain, Alhussein acutely reminds us that without action, the climate will only deteriorate further. Tara<\/p>\n

I loved learning about the work of Raymond Martin<\/a> who is addressing the UK\u2019s public toilet crisis, which I genuinely think is something we can all get behind. This essential public service was one of the first to go under austerity, and Martin is serious about bringing it back. Phoebe<\/p>\n

A social proxy war has broken out <\/a>after a Turkish TikTok influencer mocked the makeup of the diaspora living in Germany, igniting rifts over gender, class, politics, nationalism and economic power. Tara<\/p>\n

SportJean-Philippe Mateta celebrates after scoring the only goal. Photograph: Crystal Pix\/MB Media\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Football | Crystal Palace will head to Norway for the second leg of their Conference League playoff a goal to the good after beating Fredrikstad 1-0 at Selhurst Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n

Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what\u2019s happening and why it matters<\/p>\n

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n

Rugby | The Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup begins in Sunderland this evening, with England\u2019s Red Roses looking to follow in the footsteps<\/a> of football\u2019s Lionesses.<\/p>\n

Football | The FA is to trial cooling-off periods<\/a> in grassroots football in acknowledgment that \u201cmore must be done\u201d to contain bad behaviour by players.<\/p>\n

The front pages<\/p>\n

The Guardian print edition\u2019s top story is \u201cRevealed: 83% of Gaza war dead are civilians, Israeli data suggests\u201d. \u201cStrictly rocked \u2026 already!\u201d reports the Mirror (someone from Game of Thrones had to be replaced by someone from Emerdale). The Metro says \u201c111,000 record asylum seekers\u201d and the Mail has \u201cAll-time high for asylum claims\u201d. In the i paper it\u2019s \u201cStarmer faces growing unrest over record asylum claims\u201d and the Express takes up the cry: \u201c\u2018Weak\u2019 Labour\u2019s \u2018day of shame\u2019 on migrant figures\u201d. The Times goes with \u201cHotels for migrants face a wave of protests\u201d. The Telegraph runs with \u201cBritain facing an autumn of discontent\u201d but that\u2019s actually about strikes. The Financial Times brings us \u201cState to take over linchpin of Gupta\u2019s UK steel business\u201d which is about Speciality Steel, part of Liberty Steel.<\/p>\n

Something for the weekend<\/p>\n

Our critics\u2019 roundup of the best things to watch, read, play and listen to right now<\/p>\n

Thrills and spills \u2026 Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy in Hostage. Photograph: Des Willie\/PA<\/p>\n

TV
Hostage | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606
Netflix\u2019s new political thriller is a rollicking, propulsive and compulsive yarn that also manages to give two great parts to two women of a certain age (Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy, above) then leaves them to get on with it as characters rather than symbols. Everyone is terrific, with Jones doing her usual sterling work. I do find myself occasionally wishing that she would treat herself and us to a comedy \u2013 or something with a comic aspect \u2013 more often, but when the dramas are this much fast, furious, intelligent fun, I suppose we shouldn\u2019t ask for more. Lucy Mangan<\/p>\n

Music
Linda May Han Oh: Strange Heavens | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606
The title Strange Heavens unerringly nails this music. The title track\u2019s whispering, short-phrase melody blossoms amid Oh\u2019s caressing pizzicato and drummer Tyshawn Sorey\u2019s spacey rimshots. Meanwhile, Acapella\u2019s delicately descending passages are embraced by bass flurries and hissing cymbals; and Ambrose Akinmusire (on trumpet) is in his most rhythmically Miles-inspired on the staccato, hip-hoppish Noise Machinery. The guilelessly delicate Paperbirds is a highlight, as is the soaringly rhapsodic Folk Song. John Fordham<\/p>\n

Film
Meanwhile on Earth | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606
Here is a French indie sci-fi in which a woman, Elsa, mourns her brother Franck, who is missing and presumed dead in space, which makes him rather less likely to be found again. One day, Elsa encounters Franck once more \u2013 as a voice. It seems that an alien presence may be able to return him to his home planet, if Elsa is prepared to help them out with a little favour \u2026 A Hollywood blockbuster would perhaps resolve this dilemma quickly, but here it is the meat of the film, a kind of thought experiment, and Elsa\u2019s plausible wrangling with her decision is what enables a fine performance from Northam. Catherine Bray<\/p>\n

Theatre
Fat Ham | \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2606
The Swan, Stratford-upon-Avon until 13 Sep
If you\u2019ve ever felt Hamlet needs less gore and more glitterball, then tuck into Fat Ham. James Ijames\u2019s play won a Pulitzer prize in 2022; set at a southern back yard barbecue, its sensibility, Black and queer, does more than piggyback on Shakespeare\u2019s tragedy. Audiences seeking Shakespeare references will be in hog heaven: the conscience-catching play becomes a game of charades, and people keep catching Juicy mid-soliloquy and wonder what secrets he\u2019s spilling. Ijames\u2019s writing is full of charm and crackle, and there\u2019s a bravery in his refusal to valorise tragedy or trundle through inherited trauma. David Jays<\/p>\n

Today in Focus Photograph: Posed by models; Westend61\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Cringe! Why millennials became so uncool<\/p>\n

An intergenerational war has broken out with Gen Z mercilessly mocking millennials<\/a> as embarrassing and out of touch. Chlo\u00eb Hamilton reports<\/p>\n

Cartoon of the day | Ben Jennings Illustration: Ben Jennings\/The GuardianThe Upside<\/p>\n

A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/p>\n

Sun-seekers \u2026 people enjoy the Paris cafe culture. Photograph: Olympia de Maismont\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jean-Charles Levenne has answered prayers across Paris by developing an app<\/a> that helps people find the sunshine, pinpointing exactly which bistrot terraces guarantee a sun-certified evening ap\u00e9ritif.<\/p>\n

The app, Jveuxdusoleil (I want sun) highlights sunny terraces on its map using open-source data from OpenStreetMap, while shady spots disappear. Users are able to feed back when the app is inaccurate, or when certain spots aren\u2019t mentioned.<\/p>\n

Jveuxdusoleil reports a steady 1,300 active users per week, with app usage spiking during spring when Parisians are desperate to bask in some light. And despite being predominantly Paris-focused, the app functions worldwide, so there is hope for us all.<\/p>\n

Sign up here<\/a> for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/p>\n

Bored at work?<\/p>\n

And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Good morning. Israel claims to have launched the first stages of a sweeping military operation to conquer Gaza…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85386,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[49,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":["post-85385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}