AdvertisementAdvertisementIsraeli army main battle tanks are positioned near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Aug 5, 2025. (File photo: AFP/Jack Guez)13 Aug 2025 06:46PM (Updated: 13 Aug 2025 06:53PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said Wednesday (Aug 13) it had approved the "framework" for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, days after the security Cabinet called for the seizure of Gaza City.Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir "approved the main framework for the IDF's operational plan in the Gaza Strip", a statement released by the army said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not provided a precise timetable for when Israeli troops will enter the territory's largest city, where thousands have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives.Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on Gaza City have intensified in recent days, with the residential neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra hit "with very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings".News of the military's approval of the plan comes hours after Hamas said a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for "preliminary talks" with Egyptian officials on a temporary truce.The Netanyahu government's plans to expand the Gaza war after more than 22 months of fighting have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.Hamas's October 2023 attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.Netanyahu floats 'allowing' Palestinians out of Gaza as mediators renew truce pushCommentary: The challenges of creating a new Palestinian state are so formidable, is it even possible?Source: AFP/coSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST