Israel Approves Framework for New Gaza Offensive Amid Intensified Air Strikes

The Israeli military has confirmed that it has finalised the “main framework” for a new operational push into the Gaza Strip, days after the country’s security cabinet signalled its intention to capture Gaza City.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had endorsed the core elements of the military’s next phase in Gaza, though no timeline for the ground advance was provided.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has so far withheld specifics on when troops will move into the city, which has become a refuge for thousands displaced by earlier stages of the conflict.

According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, air strikes on the city have surged in recent days, with the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods experiencing particularly heavy bombardment. Civilian homes, including what may be high-rise buildings, were among the reported targets.

The military’s announcement came just hours after Hamas confirmed a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for preliminary discussions with Egyptian mediators on a potential temporary truce.

The decision to escalate military action, coming after more than 22 months of fighting, has fuelled both international criticism and opposition within Israel. UN-backed experts have warned that severe food shortages are pushing Gaza toward widespread famine, exacerbated by Israel’s tight restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory.

The war began after Hamas launched its October 2023 attack, killing 1,219 people, according to official Israeli figures. In response, Israel’s offensive has so far killed at least 61,599 people in Gaza, based on health ministry data from the Hamas-run enclave, which the United Nations cites as credible.

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