Israel's Military Appears Poised to Expand into Gaza City Amid Cease-Fire Calls
The Israeli military issued broad evacuation orders on Sunday for neighborhoods of Gaza City, amid growing calls for a cease-fire deal from President Trump.
The notifications for people to leave parts of Gaza City and other areas in northern Gaza where Israeli troops have refrained from operating for months, came as the Israeli military warned that it would intensify operations that would expand westward toward the city center. Residents were instructed to move south.
Attention in Israel and Washington has refocused on Gaza since Israel's 12-day war with Iran ended on Tuesday. The military campaign in Gaza — which was ignited by the Hamas-led October 2023 attack on Israel — has lasted more than 630 days and is one of Israel's most protracted and deadliest wars.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure at home to end the conflict by agreeing a cease-fire deal that would see Hamas release the hostages still being held in the enclave. Those hostages include up to 20 people who were taken captive in the October 2023 attack and are believed to still be alive, along with the remains of about 30 others.
Mr. Trump on Sunday publicly pressed for a deal. 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!! DJT,' he wrote on social media, hours after arguing that Mr. Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial be canceled since it would interfere with 'the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas.'
The president had suggested on Friday that there could be an agreement between Israel and Hamas within a week. But Mr. Trump has offered no details on what may have changed, and analysts said it was unclear what his claim was based on.
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