Israel launches first phase of offensive on Gaza City, army says
Israel has entered the first stage of a planned assault on Gaza City, a spokesperson for the IDF has said.
The Israeli military spokesperson claims to already have a hold on the outskirts of the city.
Israel’s defence minister approved a plan to occupy Gaza City - displacing a million people who are expected to be moved into tents.
Israel’s plan to expand its military offensive, which has already killed at least 60,000 people, to Gaza City has been widely condemned by its allies - but the Israeli government says its necessary to "remove Hamas".
Earlier, Israel confirmed plans to call up 60,000 reservists ahead of the offensive.
The UN warned the displacement of more Palestinians would have "horrific humanitarian impacts" for a population on the verge of mass hunger and famine.
Earlier this month, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office released a five-step plan detailing how it intends to end the fighting in Gaza by taking full control of the region.
"The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones," the statement read, going on to detail Israel’s "principles for ending the war."
"An absolute majority of Cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan presented to the Cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas or the return of the abductees," the statement continued.
It comes as Hamas reportedly agreed to the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators had been holding talks with the militant group in their latest effort to broker a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Teenager Iddo Elam’s refused to be drafted into the Israeli military as up to 60,000 reservists are being called up.
He has been previously been to prison over his refusal to enlist, despite it being law in Israel.
On Wednesday, he told Lewis Goodall he refused to join the IDF because he sees the "genocidal war" as "illegal and immoral" as well as being a threat to the security of Palestinians and his own safety.
"At the end of the day, when we continue killing, we are talking about more than tens of thousands of children, women and men in Gaza, when we continue the occupation, and we’re talking about completely occupying the Gaza Strip, we’re talkign about creating more and more hate, more and more generations that will not be able to change reality for the better".
He added that the war is "very close" to killing the remaining living hostages.
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