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The Israeli security cabinet approved a plan presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 8 to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and forcibly displace the residents of Gaza City from the north of the territory to the south.

The news of the plan spread rapidly among those of us in Gaza, leaving us in a state of shock and despair. We had been following the updates in hopes of hearing about a possible ceasefire — not a full occupation and a new wave of displacement. Since the Israeli plan was announced, the Israeli army has intensified its artillery bombardment and airstrikes on the southern part of Gaza City.

The decision comes at a time when starvation has severely gripped the Gaza Strip. According to UN officials, since late May, nearly 1,400 people struggling to obtain basic food supplies have been killed through Israel’s failed food distribution. In addition, more than 500,000 people in Gaza are facing starvation, and all 320,000 children under the age of 5 are at risk of severe malnutrition.

The Israeli plan was met with condemnation from both Western and Arab countries, who warned that it would further diminish the chances of achieving a permanent ceasefire and bring nothing but more destruction and suffering. Nevertheless, Netanyahu insisted that he would press ahead with his plan, refusing to yield to rhetorical pressure from other nations.

Some reports, citing statements from Israeli officials, indicated that the plan will be implemented in phases. The first phase involves the occupation of Gaza City by displacing its roughly 1 million residents to areas Israel designates as “safe zones,” while providing what Netanyahu’s office describes as humanitarian aid to civilians outside the combat zones. Israel........

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