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.