JERUSALEM: The Israeli military confirmed on Wednesday it had authorised operational plans for a renewed offensive in Gaza, following the security cabinet’s directive to capture Gaza City.
Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir “approved the main framework for the IDF’s operational plan in the Gaza Strip,“ according to an official army statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has not disclosed specific timelines for deploying troops into Gaza City, where thousands displaced by earlier attacks currently shelter.
Gaza’s civil defence reported intensified Israeli air raids on Gaza City neighbourhoods, noting “very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings” in Zeitoun and Sabra districts.
The military announcement coincided with Hamas confirming its delegation’s arrival in Cairo for “preliminary talks” with Egyptian mediators about a potential temporary ceasefire.
Netanyahu’s proposed escalation after 22 months of conflict has drawn global condemnation and domestic protests, with UN experts warning of accelerating famine due to Israel’s severe aid restrictions.
Hamas’s October 2023 assault killed 1,219 people according to AFP’s verified count, while Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 61,599 Palestinian deaths from Israel’s retaliatory campaign. – AFP
