Israel entered the first stages of a planned assault on Gaza City on Wednesday after approving a plan to take it over that includes calling up 60,000 reservists for an expanded military operation in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
"We have begun the preliminary actions and the initial stages of the offensive on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces are holding positions on the outskirts of Gaza City," Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters Wednesday.
He added: "We will intensify the strikes on Hamas in Gaza City, the political and military stronghold of the terror organization."
Defrin also said that to "minimize harm to civilians," the IDF will be warning citizens to allow them to evacuate.
"We are continuing to allow humanitarian aid for the residents of the Strip and are even expanding it — with additional central aid distribution points," he said.
The U.S. ally appeared to be pushing ahead Wednesday with a new phase of its war despite international opposition — and in the face of a renewed push for a ceasefire with Hamas.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has authorized the plans for the major new operation, a spokesperson for the ministry confirmed to NBC News. It will also see an additional 20,000 reservists have their service extended, the Israeli military said.
The assault is expected to force thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza to the south of the strip, which is suffering an intensifying hunger crisis under Israel’s military offensive and aid restrictions.
The United Nations also denounced the military operations Wednesday. "Israel’s reported decision to take full control of Gaza City and to forcibly displace its population will lead to mass killings of civilians and destruction of infrastructure vital to the survival of the population," the U.N. human rights office for the Palestinian territories said in a statement.
Scores of people in Gaza have starved to death in recent weeks, including dozens of children, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave.
