The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it has approved the “framework” for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, just days after the country’s security cabinet called for the seizure of Gaza City.
In a statement, the army confirmed that Armed Forces Chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had “approved the main framework for the IDF’s operational plan in the Gaza Strip.” However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has yet to provide a timetable for the ground operation. Thousands of displaced residents have sought refuge in Gaza City following earlier military campaigns.
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, Israeli air strikes on the city have intensified in recent days. Residential areas in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods were reportedly hit “with very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings.”
The announcement came just hours after Hamas stated that a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for “preliminary talks” with Egyptian officials aimed at negotiating a temporary truce.
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Plans to expand the Gaza offensive — now in its 23rd month — have triggered both international condemnation and domestic criticism. UN-backed experts have warned that a widespread famine is unfolding in the enclave, where Israel has severely restricted the entry of humanitarian aid.
The conflict began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which left 1,219 people dead, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza — figures regarded by the United Nations as reliable.