The Israeli military has said chief of staff Eyal Zamir has approved the “framework” for a new offensive in Gaza.
Israel has said it will launch a the offensive and seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war’s outbreak in October 2023 before pulling out.
Israeli planes and tanks kept up their bombardment of eastern areas of Gaza City overnight.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Cairo yesterday for talks to revive a US-backed ceasefire plan.
The latest round of indirect talks in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July with Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a US proposal for a 60-day truce and hostage release deal.
Hamas’ meetings with Egyptian officials, scheduled to begin today, will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and “end the suffering of our people in Gaza,” Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement.
Foreign ministers of 24 countries said yesterday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached “unimaginable levels” and urged Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the territory.
Israel denies responsibility for hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid. It says it has taken steps to increase deliveries, including pausing fighting for parts of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
A Palestinian official with knowledge of the mediated ceasefire talks said Hamas was prepared to return to the negotiating table, and the leaders who were visiting Cairo yesterday would reaffirm that stance.
“Hamas believes negotiation is the only way to end the war and is open to discuss any ideas that would secure an end to the war,” the official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said.
However, the gaps between the sides appear to remain wide on key issues, including the extent of any Israeli military withdrawal and demands for Hamas to disarm.
A Hamas official said the Islamist movement was ready to relinquish Gaza governance on behalf of a non-partisan committee, but it would not relinquish its arms before a Palestinian state is established.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose far-right ultranationalist coalition allies want an outright Israeli takeover of all of Gaza, has vowed the war will not end until Hamas is eradicated.
The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza since then has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
