Some 20 countries called Israel's plan to seize Gaza City a "dangerous escalation." Meanwhile, the UK pledged millions more in relief supplies, saying it wants the Palestinian territory "flooded with aid.

The military leadership has said it prefers a new cease-fire instead of renewed fighting, and the military’s chief of staff previously raised concerns about troop exhaustion.

Netanyahu wants us to believe, or at least wants the Trump administration to, that Israel has no alternative than to intensify the war and, in effect, reoccupy the whole of the Gaza Strip — seriously risking the lives of the hostages in the process.