After facing growing criticism following the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of a new military plan to take control of Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday defended his government’s controversial proposal, asserting that the aim is not to occupy Gaza but to eliminate Hamas’s presence and influence. After facing growing criticism following the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of a new military plan to take control of Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday defended his government’s controversial proposal, asserting that the aim is not to occupy Gaza but to eliminate Hamas’s presence and influence.