Israel said on Saturday that it is planning to move Palestinians to Southern Gaza as it prepares for a new military offensive. 

“In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and as part of the @IDF preparations to move the population from combat zones to southern Gaza for their protection, the supply of tents and shelter equipment to Gaza will resume tomorrow (Sunday),” COGAT, the military agency in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, said in a social media post. “The aid will be transferred through the Kerem Shalom Crossing by the UN and international organizations, following a thorough security inspection. We will continue to act in accordance with international law in order to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.”

The Israel Defense Forces has not said when the mass movement of people to the south would begin. 

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media on Saturday that the country is “in the stage of discussions to formulate the plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza and return the hostages, and at their conclusion, there will be a comprehensive and powerful plan to carry out the mission in all its aspects.

It added, “Now is the time to act: to take to the streets, support the families of the hostages, support the families of the soldiers, and influence the future of the hostages and the future of the country — because only the people can bring the hostages home,” according to the Times of Israel. 

Two mothers and one wife of three hostages wrote in a joint letter about “hope.” 

“The days are long, the nights are even longer,” the mothers and wife of hostages Matan Angrest, Nimrod Cohen and Omri Miran wrote. 

A woman with her face painted in the colors of the Israeli flag takes part in a protest demanding the end of the war, the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv on Saturday.  (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

“Longing burns the soul. But amidst the pain, hope still beats. An entire nation has not given up on you. This coming Sunday, the whole nation will stop their lives for you, for your freedom, for the lives of our soldiers,” they added. 

Fox News’ Madison Colombo and the Associated Press contributed to this report.