Israel approves Gaza City offensive as ceasefire talks hang in balance

Israel’s defence minister has approved a plan for the conquest of Gaza City and authorised the mobilisation of around 60,000 reservists, his ministry confirmed on Wednesday, as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remain unresolved.

The move by Defence Minister Israel Katz adds pressure on Hamas at a time when mediators, led by Qatar and Egypt with U.S. backing, await an official Israeli response to the latest truce proposal. The framework approved by Hamas calls for a 60-day pause in fighting, a phased release of Israeli hostages, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners, and greater humanitarian access into Gaza.

Israel, however, has insisted that any agreement must include the release of all hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refrained from commenting directly on the proposal but reiterated last week that Israel would only accept a deal meeting its terms for ending the war.

Qatar described the current draft as “almost identical” to an earlier plan Israel had signaled openness to, while Egypt said the responsibility for progress now lies with Jerusalem. A senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, said the group had “opened the door wide” for a deal, but questioned whether Netanyahu would again block an agreement.

The developments come as the war nears its second year, with humanitarian conditions in Gaza worsening sharply. The enclave’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 48 people on Tuesday across Gaza, including in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City, where shelling reportedly continued. An agency spokesman described the situation as “very dangerous and unbearable.”

The Israeli military declined to comment on specific operations but said it remained focused on dismantling Hamas’s military infrastructure while taking precautions to reduce civilian casualties. It was later confirmed that an overnight strike in Khan Younis targeted a Hamas militant.

On the ground, the humanitarian toll remains severe. An AFP journalist in northern Gaza reported seeing Palestinians hauling sacks of food aid through rubble-strewn streets in Zikim, highlighting the dire shortages facing civilians.

The Israeli security cabinet’s approval of plans to capture Gaza City signals a potential escalation, even as international mediators push for a temporary truce. For now, the fragile talks hang in the balance, caught between Israel’s military objectives, Hamas’s conditions, and growing global concern over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.