Arab states increase focus on Gaza City battle as Israel intensifies military offensive

Al-Ain reports that some Israeli officials “make no secret of their desire to promote the ‘voluntary migration’ of Palestinians,” though experts describe this proposal as “unrealistic.”

There is an increasing focus in the Arab states on the upcoming battle for Gaza City. Israel has vowed to attack Hamas strongholds in the city, and reports indicate that 60,000 soldiers are being called up for the battle.

This is expected to be a major confrontation in a large urban area. Concerns about the aftermath of the battle are growing in the region.

Evidence of this heightened attention includes frequent reports in Arabic media regarding potential future developments in Gaza.

Al-Arabiya notes, "Israel prepares to evacuate thousands from Gaza, Red Cross warns. The Red Cross confirms that mass evacuation is impossible." Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, has called on the international community to take stronger action to stop the offensive in Gaza City.

The Arab states are aware that EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas has said sanctions against Israel are unlikely. As a result, they are hoping to push other countries to exert greater pressure.

Arab News reported that “Jordan’s foreign minister on Friday called on the international community to take stronger action against Israel in response to the nation’s latest military offensive in Gaza, warning that continued impunity will only fuel further regional instability.”

Safadi also praised foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain for their joint condemnation of the upcoming offensive.

“The impunity with which Israel is making a mockery of international law cannot continue,” Safadi said. “Netanyahu thrives on conflict,” he continued, describing the policies of the Israeli government as serving a “racist, inhumane ideology that the world should not tolerate.”

The Jordanian minister accused Israel’s prime minister of “destroying Gaza, destroying hopes for a just peace, and setting fire to the entire region” to save his own political career. “He prefers the war to continue,” Safadi said. “This is the horrific reality that the international community can no longer ignore. We urge all countries to adopt the position of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain, and others who are standing on the side of peace and justice, and act now to stop the slaughter of innocent Palestinians,” he added, as reported by Arab News.

Focus on the battle for Zeitoun in Gaza

At Al-Arabiya, reports have focused on the battle for Zeitoun in Gaza. This neighborhood has been captured by Israel seven times during the war.

It has now been taken again. There is a dispute over the number of Gazans remaining in Gaza City. Israeli sources, as reported by Al-Ain, claim there are only 10,000 people left in key neighborhoods. The Red Cross states that a mass evacuation of Gaza City is impossible.

“Israeli forces declared Gaza City outside the scope of any humanitarian truce on Friday, classifying it as a dangerous combat zone,” Al-Arabiya noted. The report added that the plans for “Gideon’s Chariots II” were approved on August 21, more than two weeks after the launch of a large-scale military operation in the Zeitoun neighborhood, which extended into the adjacent Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City.

An Al-Ain report from the UAE focused on the dilemmas Israel will face as it moves forward. “The difference from previous operations in Shujaiya and Zeitoun, according to [Erez] Weiner, is that ‘the population was evacuated and a total siege was imposed, leaving only armed Hamas members,’” the report said.

The article suggests that Israel will enter Gaza City and remain there, rather than carrying out raids as it did in 2024. Resources such as water will be under Israeli control.

However, the Al-Ain report also highlights perceived differences between Israel’s political leadership and its military Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

The report predicts that the mission could take months and lead to exhaustion. “Though the army asserts that the buildings will be demolished for operational reasons only, field estimates indicate that entire neighborhoods will likely be destroyed, similar to what happened in Rafah and the northern Gaza Strip.”

Al-Ain reports that some Israeli officials “make no secret of their desire to promote the ‘voluntary migration’ of Palestinians,” though experts describe this proposal as “unrealistic.” At the same time, the report notes that there is no clear “day after” plan for Gaza.

“The army opposes the establishment of a long-term Israeli military administration, but acknowledges that the absence of a ready alternative may impose a temporary solution. The political echelon believes that the success of the operation is measured by achieving two goals: concluding a comprehensive deal to release the hostages and establishing a local, technocratic administration as an alternative to Hamas.”