Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will give final approval for takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all of Israel's remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel's terms.
The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days after Netanyahu grants final approval at a meeting with senior security officials. Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which, if accepted by Israel, could forestall the offensive.
The Israeli military has been calling medical officials and international organisations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation. The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more.
It comes as a UN-backed group is set to officially declare a famine in parts of northern Gaza on Friday, while leaked Israeli intelligence data appeared to suggest that at least five out of every six Palestinians killed during this war have been civilians.
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Key Points
- Israel has taken its first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City
- Thousands of Palestinians flee intense assault on Gaza City
- Hamas accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing the ceasefire deal
- Israel approves controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank
- IDF admits 'failure' in Hamas attack on Gaza base: reports
Netanyahu's office says Israel will dispatch a team for negotiations
05:45
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, in a statement, said Israel will dispatch a delegation to hold talks for securing the release of hostages once the location for negotiations is determined.
It’s not clear whether Mr Netanyahu’s statement was coordinated with any of the Arab mediators who are currently waiting for Israel to respond to their phased hostage release proposal, according to Times of Israel.
It appeared to mark Israel's first public response to the latest ceasefire proposal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar. Egyptian and Hamas officials say it is almost identical to an earlier one that Israel accepted before the talks stalled last month.
Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to the ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which could forestall the offensive, if agreed by Israel.
The proposal would include the release of some of the hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a pullback of Israeli forces and negotiations over a more lasting ceasefire.
In pics: Protests across occupied West Bank and Israel
05:31
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Protests in Israel and Gaza
05:15
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hundreds gathered for a rare protest in Gaza City against Israel's war and Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to support the mass relocation of Palestinians to other countries.
Women and children held placards reading "Save Gaza" and "Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us," against a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music played. Unlike in previous protests, there were no expressions of opposition to Hamas.
"We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don't want to migrate. Twenty-two months — it's enough. Enough death. Enough destruction," said Bisan Ghazal, a woman displaced from Gaza City.
In Israel, protesters marched yesterday in Tel Aviv holding banners that read "The people will bring back the hostages" and "How much blood will be spilled?"
Among the demonstrators was Dudu Dotan, who said Mr Netanyahu is endangering the remaining hostages by moving forward with the planned Gaza City offensive.
Of the 50 still being held in Gaza, Israel believes about 20 hostages are still alive."This way will not bring the hostages back,"
Mr Dotan said. "Every hostage he brought back, he brought back through deals. And every time he tried to bring them back with military force, he caused the hostages to be killed."
Gaza City operation could 'begin in days'
05:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
During a visit to the military's Gaza command in southern Israel, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would approve the army's plans to retake Gaza City and had instructed officials "to begin immediate negotiations" for the release of all hostages.
"These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages — go hand in hand," he said.
Mr Netanyahu yesterday claimed he will give final approval for the takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all the remaining hostages.
His approval was expected during a meeting with senior security officials late last night, but no decision was announced before midnight in Jerusalem.
Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which — if accepted by Israel — could forestall the offensive.
Israel ramps up pressure on Gaza City as Palestinians face stark choice: ‘Die here or leave and die somewhere else’
04:45
,
Tom Watling
Gaza City student prepares to say goodbye to her home as Israel issues evacuation order
04:30
,
Tom Watling
Netanyahu says Israel to begin Gaza ceasefire negotiations to end war, release hostages
04:15
,
Tom Watling
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will begin immediate negotiations for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an end to the nearly two-year-old war on terms acceptable to Israel.
Speaking to soldiers serving in Gaza, Netanyahu said he was meeting commanders to approve plans for capturing Gaza City and defeating Hamas.
"At the same time I have issued instructions to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel," he said, adding: "We are in the decision-making phase."
The Israeli military maintained its pressure on Gaza City into Thursday.
On Wednesday, the military called up 60,000 reservists in a sign that the government was pressing ahead with the plan, despite international condemnation.
Calling up tens of thousands of reservists is likely to take weeks, giving time for mediators to attempt to bridge gaps over a new temporary ceasefire proposal that Hamas has accepted, but the Israeli government has yet to officially respond to.
The proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas militants and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The Israeli government has stated that all of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza must be released at once. Israeli officials believe that around 20 of them are still alive.
Whatever Gaza’s future, 7 October was the beginning of Netanyahu’s end
04:00
,
Tom Watling
Palestinian factions begin handing over weapons at Beirut refugee camp
03:02
,
Tom Watling
Israel’s Gaza City invasion: What is Netanyahu’s plan and what happens next as new assault launched
02:00
,
Tom Watling
Israel ramps up pressure on Gaza City as Palestinians face stark choice: ‘Die here or leave and die somewhere else’
01:01
,
Tom Watling
Pictures: aftermath of Israeli strike on tent camp in Deir Al-Balah
Friday 22 August 2025 00:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Around 5 out of 6 Palestinians killed in Gaza were civilians, a leaked Israeli intelligence data base suggests
Thursday 21 August 2025 23:28
,
Tom Watling
Figures from a classified Israeli military intelligence database claim that five out of six Palestinians killed in Gaza since the start of the war have been civilians.
A joint investigation by the Guardian and local media claimed that as of May, 19 months into the war, Israeli intelligence had identified 8,900 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters as dead or “probably dead.” At that point, Gaza’s health ministry reported 53,000 Palestinians killed in total.
The figures indicate that only 17 per cent of those killed were fighters, meaning civilians made up around 83 per cent of the dead. That ratio is far higher than in most recent wars, including those in Syria and Sudan, both of which were marked by widespread atrocities.
According to data compiled by Uppsala Conflict Data Program, which has tracked civilian casualties worldwide since 1989, the extent of deaths makes Gaza the fourth most deadly conflict for civilians in modern history.
Israel has disputed these figures in the investigation.
UN-backed group to declare famine in Gaza on Friday
Thursday 21 August 2025 23:20
,
Tom Watling
A United Nations-backed hunger monitor is poised to declare famine in Gaza for the first time, a step it has taken only four times in nearly two decades.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has never before flagged famine in Gaza, but its latest analysis warns conditions have reached “worst-case scenario” levels. According to the Telegraph, the official declaration will be made tomorrow. The group warned in July that famine in Gaza was imminent.
The declaration will cover Gaza City and three surrounding towns, as well as several refugee camps, according to a briefing.
The famine is projected to extend to Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
“After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions, characterised by starvation, destitution and death,” says the IPC briefing.
On the ground: medical aid staff describe relentless shelling
Thursday 21 August 2025 23:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Earlier we reported that Ard El Insan (AEI) was forced to close its medical point after relentless Israeli attack.
Shireen Halasa, who worked at the medical point, said: “It was a terrifying night. The shelling did not stop for a single moment.
“My heart almost stopped. We were treating around 100 children daily…many suffering from severe malnutrition, but we were forced to close while running for our lives.”
Medical Aid for Palestinians warns of imminent health catastrophe in Gaza City
Thursday 21 August 2025 22:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has warned of an even greater health and humanitarian catastrophe as Israel intensifies its military assault on Gaza City, forcing the closure of lifesaving health services and triggering a new wave of mass forced displacement.
One of its local partners was forced to shut down its medical point in Gaza City on 19 August after a night of relentless Israeli shelling and airstrikes.
If you're just joining us:
Thursday 21 August 2025 21:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
- Israel has taken its first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City
- In response Hamas accused Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing the ceasefire deal
- IDF warned medics and residents to move ahead of 'full evacuation', according to a spokesperson
- Thousands of Palestinians fled the intense assault on Gaza City
- Only 250 of expected 1,800 aid trucks entered Gaza over past 3 days, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry
- UNRWA chief warned malnourished children may die during the Gaza City operation
- The UK joined calls for Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza
- Hostage families call for protest to end war this evening in Tel Aviv
Watch: Huge explosion in Gaza as Israeli military launch next stage of ground offensive
Thursday 21 August 2025 20:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Netanyahu says Israel to begin Gaza ceasefire negotiations to end war, release hostages
Thursday 21 August 2025 19:38
,
Tom Watling
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will begin immediate negotiations for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an end to the nearly two-year-old war on terms acceptable to Israel.
Speaking to soldiers serving in Gaza, Netanyahu said he was meeting commanders to approve plans for capturing Gaza City and defeating Hamas.
"At the same time I have issued instructions to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel," he said, adding: "We are in the decision-making phase."
The Israeli military maintained its pressure on Gaza City into Thursday.
On Wednesday, the military called up 60,000 reservists in a sign that the government was pressing ahead with the plan, despite international condemnation.
Calling up tens of thousands of reservists is likely to take weeks, giving time for mediators to attempt to bridge gaps over a new temporary ceasefire proposal that Hamas has accepted, but the Israeli government has yet to officially respond to.
The proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas militants and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The Israeli government has stated that all of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza must be released at once. Israeli officials believe that around 20 of them are still alive.
Explained: What is Netanyahu’s plan and what happens next as new assault launched
Thursday 21 August 2025 19:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Israelis hold protests as new offensive in Gaza nears
Thursday 21 August 2025 18:50
,
Tom Watling
Families of some of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza have gathered in Tel Aviv to condemn the expanded operation and lead protests.
Israel believes around 20 hostages are still alive.
Gaza City student prepares to say goodbye to her home as Israel issues evacuation order
Thursday 21 August 2025 18:36
,
Tom Watling
Israeli authorities starving Palestinians of water in Gaza: MSF
Thursday 21 August 2025 18:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said Israeli is deliberately depriving Palestinians of water as part of a “genocidal campaign”.
“Organisations like MSF would be able to increase the amount of safe water in the Strip, however, Israel is blocking imports of critical water treatment items,” it added.
“Since June 2024, for every 10 import requests of items for water desalination, MSF has had only one approved.
“The reduction of clean water in Gaza has resulted in an increase of disease, with MSF medical teams conducting over 1,000 consultations for acute watery diarrhoea a week for the past month.
“Without sufficient water for hygiene, people have been suffering from skin conditions, such as scabies.
“Humanitarian organisations are willing to repair the damaged pipes and plants of the water infrastructure that existed before October 2023, but Israel has repeatedly hindered these efforts by denying access to these sites.”
Photos: aftermath of Israeli strike at a camp for internally displaced people in Deir el-Balah
Thursday 21 August 2025 17:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
UK summons Israeli Ambassador over Tel Aviv’s approval of a major settlement plan in the West Bank
Thursday 21 August 2025 16:06
,
Steffie Banatvala
The UK Foreign Office has summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely over Tel Aviv’s approval of a major settlement plan in the West Bank.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the E1 settlement plan, which would sever one of the last geographical links between the northern and southern West Bank, would “mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution”.
On Thursday, Mr Lammy and other foreign ministers from Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan issued a joint statement again condemning the E1 plan, saying it would bring “no benefits to the Israeli people” and “risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability”.
Hostage families call for protest to end war this evening in Tel Aviv
Thursday 21 August 2025 16:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
A forum representing the relatives of hostages held by Hamas has called on the public to join a march around Israel’s Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.
“The time is now - move forward with the deal! Bring them home and end the war! Every delay is a missed opportunity to save lives,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged.
“We call on all citizens of Israel to step out onto balconies and into the streets, and turn on their phone flashlights in a powerful show of solidarity with the hostages.”
IDF warns medics, residents to move ahead of 'full evacuation'
Thursday 21 August 2025 15:26
,
Steffie Banatvala
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X that the military had started making what he said were initial warning calls to medical and international organisations operating in Gaza's north, telling them that Gaza City residents should start to prepare to move out of the city and towards the south.
Mr Adraee also shared a recording of what he said was an Israeli officer telling a Gazan health ministry official that hospitals in southern Gaza should also prepare to receive patients from medical facilities in the north, who will be forced to evacuate.
The call could not be independently verified.
UK joins calls for Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza
Thursday 21 August 2025 15:16
,
Steffie Banatvala
The UK has called on Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza as Tel Aviv ramps up its offensive.
In a statement alongside 25 other members of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK urged Israel to “allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza”.
Foreign media have been banned from entering Gaza since October 2023, other than for brief, tightly controlled trips escorted by the Israeli military. Many Palestinian journalists in the region have been killed.
The coalition said: “Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively.
“We oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts.
“We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions.”
Photos: Palestinians queue to receive food aid in Khan Younis
Thursday 21 August 2025 15:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Turkish ports require ships to declare they have no links to Israel: shipping sources
Thursday 21 August 2025 14:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Turkish ports are informally requiring shipping agents to provide letters confirming vessels have no ties to Israel and are not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country, two shipping sources were cited as saying by Reuters.
The instruction applies nationwide, though no official circular has been issued.
Photos: Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza, heading South following Gaza City operation
Thursday 21 August 2025 14:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Watch: Aftermath of Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah
Thursday 21 August 2025 13:15
,
Steffie Banatvala
Photos: Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, in Khan Younis
Thursday 21 August 2025 12:49
,
Steffie Banatvala
Famine in Gaza is 'deliberate': UNRWA chief
Thursday 21 August 2025 12:45
,
Steffie Banatvala
Earlier, we brought you news that the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency warned that malnourished children in Gaza could die without immediate emergency aid during Israel’s Gaza City operation.
Philippe Lazzarini has added: “It is a manufactured and fabricated famine. It is deliberate. Food has been used as an instrument of war.”
In May, a global hunger monitor said that half a million people in the Gaza Strip faced starvation but stopped short of using the term famine.
It is a manufactured and fabricated famine. It is deliberate. Food has been used as an instrument of war.
Philippe Lazzarini
Only 250 of expected 1,800 aid trucks entered Gaza over past 3 days: local officials
Thursday 21 August 2025 12:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
Just 250 of an expected 1,800 aid trucks entered Gaza over the past three days, Gaza’s government media office said on Telegram.
It added that “vital food items” are still being blocked, including eggs, nutritional supplements, meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.
Malnourished children may die amid Gaza City operation: UNRWA chief
Thursday 21 August 2025 12:15
,
Steffie Banatvala
The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency warned that malnourished children in Gaza could die without immediate emergency aid during Israel’s Gaza City operation.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said that data shows a six-fold increase in the number of children suffering from malnutrition in Gaza City since March.
“We have a population that is extremely weak that will be confronted with a new major military operation,” he told a Geneva press club meeting.
“Many will simply not have the strength to undergo a new displacement."
“If there is no crisis plan, then they (the children suffering from malnutrition) will certainly be condemned.”
Two Palestinians die of starvation in last 24 hours: local officials
Thursday 21 August 2025 12:00
,
Steffie Banatvala
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said two Palestinians starved to death over the past 24 hours.
“This brings the total number of victims of starvation and malnutrition to 271, including 112 children,” it said in a post on Telegram.
It comes as Gaza’s government media office said just 250 of an expected 1,800 aid trucks entered Gaza over the past three days.
Death toll rises to 70 Palestinians in past 24 hours: local officials
Thursday 21 August 2025 11:56
,
Steffie Banatvala
At least 70 Palestinians died in the last 24 hours and a further 356 wounded people arrived at hospitals, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
Eighteen of the Palestinians who died were seeking aid, it said.
“A number of victims remain under the rubble and on the streets, as ambulance crews and civil defence teams are unable to reach them at this time,” it added in a post on Telegram.
Photos: Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah
Thursday 21 August 2025 11:45
,
Steffie Banatvala
Thousands of Palestinians flee intense assault on Gaza City
Thursday 21 August 2025 10:56
,
Steffie Banatvala
Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing their homes as Israel's troops established a foothold on the outskirts of Gaza City, home to more than a million people.
Hundreds of people in the neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra fled towards the north-west of the city amid reports of relentless bombardments overnight.
Israeli forces have also escalated shelling on the Sabra and Tuffah neighbourhoods.
On Wednesday an IDF spokesman said troops were operating in Zeitoun and Jabalia areas already, laying the groundwork for the offensive.
Photos: Funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and strikes in Gaza City
Thursday 21 August 2025 10:30
,
Steffie Banatvala
