Share and Follow
Israeli troops have begun advancing on the outskirts of Gaza City, prompting Palestinians to move to other parts of the territory.
The early stages of Israel’s military operations come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he will give final approval for the takeover of Gaza City while also restarting talks with Hamas.
The negotiations are aimed at returning all the remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel’s terms.
The main advance on Gaza City could start within days after Netanyahu grants final approval at a meeting with senior security officials in the coming hours.
The Israeli Defence Forces has begun calling medical officials and international organisations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation.
The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.
Israeli troops have already begun more limited operations in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood and the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp.
Defence chiefs say the aim is for forces to operate in areas where ground troops have not yet entered and where it says Hamas still has military and governing capabilities.
So far, there has been little sign of Palestinians fleeing en masse, as they did when Israel carried out an earlier offensive in Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war.
The military says it controls around 75 per cent of Gaza and residents say nowhere in the territory feels safe.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals.
A renewed offensive could bring even more casualties and displacement to the territory, where the war has already killed tens of thousands.
Many Israelis fear it could also doom the remaining 20 or so living hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.