After cloning a remote repository, a new feature of that project needs to be developed and integrated into the next major release. Which of the following is the first Git operation to run to begin…

The 'merge' command combines two existing branches and is used after feature development is complete, not as the first step after cloning.

The 'git init' command initializes a brand-new empty repository, which is unnecessary after cloning since the clone operation already produces a fully initialized repository.

The 'diff' command displays differences between commits, branches, or the working tree but does not create an isolated working context for new feature development.

The 'git branch' command creates a new isolated branch from the current HEAD, allowing the developer to commit feature-specific changes without affecting the main or default branch. This is the standard Git feature workflow - clone the repository, immediately create a feature branch, then begin development so that the mainline history remains clean.