Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his cabinet has approved plans for a new assault on Gaza City which will displace hundreds of thousands of people, the BBC reports.
The IDF has warned medical workers and international organisations to prepare for the planned evacuation of the city’s one million residents to shelters in the south.
The UN has said intensifying attacks and “relentless bombardment” in Gaza City are causing a “high numbers of civilian casualties and large-scale destruction.”
It comes as Netanyahu said he would begin immediate talks on releasing hostages being held in Gaza and ending the war on Israel’s terms, after Hamas accepted a new ceasefire proposal from mediators.
Meanwhile a UN-backed body is expected to give an update on famine in Gaza today.
The IPC – which does not officially declare famine – said last month that the “worst-case scenario of famine” was “playing out in Gaza.”
