“The goal, according to the statement, is to achieve a decisive victory over Hamas. The plan allows for the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population “outside the combat zones,” it said.”

Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Military Takeover of Gaza

“The goal, according to the statement, is to achieve a decisive victory over Hamas, which led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that started the war. The cabinet also approved five principles for ending the war, including the disarming of Hamas; the return of all 50 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive; the demilitarization of Gaza; Israeli security control over the enclave; and the establishment of an alternative civilian administration there that involves neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority, the rival Western-backed body that exercises limited control in parts of the occupied West Bank. It is likely to take the military days, at least, to call up reserve forces, carry out troop deployments for a push into Gaza City and allow time for the forced evacuation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the new areas of combat. Some analysts have said that the plan for the new offensive may be a threat to compel Hamas to offer concessions in stalled cease-fire negotiations. Days ago, American and Israeli officials floated the idea of an all-or-nothing deal for Gaza in which all the hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the war would end under certain conditions. Otherwise, the Israeli military would continue its campaign. The Israeli military has said that it has already conquered about 75 percent of Gaza. The coastal strip stretching from Gaza City in the north to Khan Younis in the south is the main area outside Israeli control. Many of the two million Palestinians in Gaza, including those displaced from their homes, have squeezed into tents, makeshift shelters and apartments in those areas. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMr. Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel planned to take control of all of Gaza, bucking the advice of the Israeli military and warnings that expanding operations could endanger the hostages being held there and kill more Palestinian civilians.”

Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Military Takeover of Gaza

“Mr. Netanyahu and his coalition partners have argued that bringing home the remaining captives cannot come at the expense of decisively routing Hamas... The subsequent Israeli campaign against Hamas has killed more than 60,000 people in Gaza, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel has also faced mounting global outrage over the dire conditions in Gaza. The Israeli military has razed large swaths of the enclave and at times tightly restricted the entry of aid, causing widespread hunger. Despite mounting domestic and international pressure, Mr. Netanyahu has warned that the Israeli military will invade Gaza City again in the coming weeks unless Hamas lays down its arms. The proposal has been roundly criticized inside and outside of Israel. Palestinians and foreign leaders say it will prolong the war and the suffering of Palestinian civilians.”

Israelis Join Nationwide Rallies to Call for Release of Hostages

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has vowed to keep fighting until his country has decisively defeated Hamas, the militant group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, by stripping it of its military and governing capabilities and forcing it to disarm.”

Israel’s Push for a Permanent Gaza Deal May Mean a Longer War, Experts Say

“The government says the Gaza City aim of the proposed military operation is to root Hamas out of one of its last strongholds and achieve a decisive victory over the group that led the deadly attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war. He has shared concerns about the exhaustion and fitness of reservists, these officials said, amid warnings that expanding operations could endanger the hostages and kill more Palestinian civilians.”

Netanyahu Faces High-Level Opposition to His Stance on Gaza Truce

“The looming assault aims to prevent Hamas — which led the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel that started the war — from regrouping and planning future attacks, an Israeli military official, who requested anonymity in line with military protocol, told journalists at a briefing on Wednesday. ... Many Israelis fear that Hamas will kill the remaining hostages if the military operation goes forward.”

With Moves on West Bank and Gaza City, Israel Defies Global Outcry

“The looming assault aims to prevent Hamas — which led the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel that started the war — from regrouping and planning future attacks, an Israeli military official, who requested anonymity in line with military protocol, told journalists at a briefing on Wednesday. ... Many Israelis fear that Hamas will kill the remaining hostages if the military operation goes forward. ... “The military offensive in Gaza that Israel is preparing can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war,” President Emmanuel Macron of France said on social media.”

With Moves on West Bank and Gaza City, Israel Defies Global Outcry

“Israel went back to war on 18 March with a series of huge air strikes and since then a new military offensive, which the prime minister says will finally deliver the elusive "total victory" over Hamas that he promised on 7 October 2023. ... Figures vary slightly, but it is believed that 54 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 31 are believed to be dead. ... Its figures do not separate civilians from members of Hamas and other armed groups.”

Israel is accused of the gravest war crimes in Gaza

“In the wake of the Hamas-led attack, Israeli leaders vowed to eliminate the Palestinian group in Gaza. ... The armed group also still holds about 20 living hostages seized during the Oct. 7 attacks, in addition to the bodies of around 28 others. ... Israel’s campaign has killed more than 60,000 people in Gaza, including thousands of children, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.”

Over 15 Killed in Gaza City, One Day After Israel Ends Daily Pauses for Aid

“Israel launched its campaign aiming to destroy Hamas after the group’s 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage. The militants still hold 53 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.”

Dozens killed in Gaza waiting for food trucks, says health ministry