BRUSSELS, August 8, 2025 (WAFA) - President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the Israeli government’s decision to further extend its military operation in Gaza must be reconsidered.

In a post on X, the President of the EU Commission said that humanitarian aid must be given immediate and unhindered access to Gaza to deliver what is urgently needed on the ground.

“A ceasefire is needed now.”

The Israeli occupation government’s so-called Security Cabinet, early Friday, approved the occupation of Gaza City and the expansion of its aggression in the Strip.

According to Israeli media, the Israeli Cabinet unanimously approved a military plan authorizing Benjamin Netanyahu and his army minister, Israel Katz, to approve military operations.

The plan begins with the forcible displacement of residents in Gaza City toward the south, followed by a siege of the city, and then further ground incursions into population centers.

The plan is in line with the far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s demand to occupy the Gaza Strip and build colonies there.

During the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces fully seized Gaza City except for small areas. They remained there for several months before withdrawing from most neighborhoods in April 2024.

The genocide has so far left 61,258 Palestinians killed, 152,045 injured, mostly children and women, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine claiming many lives, including dozens of children.

T.R.