Overview

• Benjamin Netanyahu ratified the plan to take Gaza City, ordered preparations accelerated, and directed negotiators to pursue a deal for the release of hostages under terms acceptable to Israel.
• Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the call‑up of about 60,000 reservists and extended service for 20,000 more, warning Gaza City would be destroyed if Hamas rejects Israel’s conditions.
• The Israel Defense Forces told medical staff and aid organizations in northern Gaza to begin evacuations to the south and to relocate hospital equipment as multi‑division forces stage and strikes intensify.
• The U.N.‑backed IPC declared famine in the Gaza governorate affecting roughly 500,000 people and projected spread to Deir al‑Balah and Khan Younis by late September, while Israel rejected the finding as a “blatant lie.”
• Associated Press reported the ground push could start within days; Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 62,000 dead since 2023, and roughly 50 hostages remain in Gaza with about 20 believed alive.