I'm Harry Wallop and we are going to be unpacking the politics of the day.

And joining me is in the studio, the former diplomatic editor of the Times Michael Binion.

Good morning, Michael.

Good morning, Harry.

And opinion editor at City AM Alice Demby. Hello, Alice.

Hello. Israel, and the reaction of the British government to news that Israel intends to occupy Gaza

city. Israel's security capital has approved a plan to take control of that city. And Israeli President

Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Fox News interview that he intended to hand over control to some unknown Arab force.

Kirstama has said that this is wrong and will only bring more bloodshed.

Michael. The British response is likely to be reflected by other Western nations, but maybe not the United States.

Do we think that will make any difference? Kirstama coming against it?

I'm afraid not, no. The Israelis have already dismissed Britain's views on this, saying that

Britain has effectively handed Hamas a victory by saying they would recognize Palestinian state.

And the Israelis really don't really care much about any of the European reaction. They regard it as irrelevant. The only one that really matters to them is what the Americans think. And it'd be interesting to see if Trump goes along with this idea. I mean, the proposal itself is intensely controversial, even within Israel. The military are against it.

Most of them say it will be very unwise. The hostage families are against it, saying it probably

will endanger the hostages' lives. So it's something that I think is going to be extremely fraught,

whichever way it goes. Alice, what do you, I mean, Israel already occupies three quarters of the

whole of the Gaza Strip. This in theory only, you know, adds in that extra quarter. Do we think

it will make any difference in terms of bringing the conflict to an end if it was to move into

the final quarter? I think if it, if anything, it's just going to be devastating for the hostages. I think this is just going to lead to more bloodshed. I think it's appalling. I don't see how you can look on this conflict with anything other than despair. I think Israel is a country that has often been held to different standards when it's defending itself. But I think we're seeing the opposite now. I think if this was any other country, if this was an autocratic dictatorship rather than a democratic ally of ours, we would be calling

this a genocide because that's what it looks like. And yeah, I think it's just, it feels like

we're just, as Michael says, standing on the sidelines, condemning it, making no difference at all.

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