Israel’s defense minister approved a plan for an offensive on Gaza City, further undermining hopes for a truce there.
Officials will also call up around 60,000 reservists in order to carry out the operation, which humanitarian agencies and experts fear will worsen what is already a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe: The UN this week said levels of aid were far below what was required to “avert widespread starvation.”
The intensifying of Israel’s military efforts in Gaza came as a 60-day ceasefire plan, which Hamas said it had accepted, looked in doubt: Israel said it would respond by Friday, but far-right members of the government have criticized the proposal, and Israel has demanded a full, rather than partial, release of hostages.