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Israel Begins First Phase Toward Gaza City Takeover as Netanyahu Signals Final Go-Ahead

Netanyahu pairs a planned Gaza City takeover with a return to hostage talks.

A picture taken on August 18, 2025, shows tents housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza City.
GAZA BORDER, ISRAEL - AUGUST 18: IDF soldiers prepare tanks on August 18, 2025 near the Gaza Strip's northern borders, Israel. On Monday it was reported that Hamas has agreed to the most recent ceasefire and hostage release proposal with Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza as part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand the IDF offensive to fully occupy the enclave. The move has been met with widespread condemnation by the international community, as well as hostage families, who say the operation will further endanger the 20 or hostages still believed to be held alive by Hamas in Gaza, as well as one million Palestinians in Gaza City, who are already facing displacement and an acute hunger crisis. (Photo by Elke Scholiers/Getty Images)
Palestinians inspect the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City, August 20, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians wave their national flag and chant slogans in Gaza City on August 21, 2025, during a demonstration to call for an end to the more than 22 months of war between Hamas and Israel. Israel hammered Gaza City and its outskirts overnight, residents said on August 20, as the military announced it had taken initial steps in its push to capture Hamas's last major stronghold. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Israel’s military says the first stages of the Gaza City operation are underway, with troops holding positions on the city’s outskirts and conducting limited raids in Zeitoun and Jabaliya.
  • About 60,000 reservists are being called up and 20,000 service terms extended, with many not slated for frontline combat and most expected to report in September.
  • Netanyahu ordered immediate negotiations for hostage releases and insists all roughly 50 remaining captives must be freed, while Hamas has accepted a mediator-backed 60‑day ceasefire proposal with staged exchanges.
  • The U.N. secretary-general and several European leaders urged an immediate ceasefire and warned of mass displacement, as Israel also drew criticism over a newly approved West Bank settlement plan.
  • Residents report evacuation notices and intensified bombardment, with thousands fleeing parts of Gaza City; Gaza’s health ministry cites more than 62,000 deaths since 2023 and rising malnutrition fatalities.