Overview

• The Israel Defense Forces instructed all residents of northern Gaza City to move south, signaling preparations to seize the city to pressure Hamas over hostages.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said current strikes are only a prelude to a ground incursion, with roughly 50 high‑rise buildings destroyed in the past two days.
• Around one million people live in Gaza City, and the military expects about 200,000 to remain, raising warnings of worsening civilian risk and humanitarian strain.
• Hamas denounced the U.S. proposal that prioritizes releasing all hostages within 48 hours and a partial prisoner release by Israel, with demilitarization and withdrawal deferred to later talks.
• Reuters reports Hamas is still debating the offer internally as Qatar presses for acceptance, while Gaza’s health authorities report 64,522 deaths since October and Israel says four more soldiers were killed, taking its military toll past 900.