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Hamas calls for UN action as Israel expands military operations in Gaza
A senior Israeli military official said on Wednesday that they estimate that their offensive on Gaza City would displace one million Palestinians.
Hamas has reportedly urged the United Nations and the global community to immediately intervene to stop Israel's genocide in Gaza as the Israeli military expands its offensive in the city.
Israel has detonated at least 100 robots containing explosives in Gaza City over the past three weeks, Al Jazeera reported, citing Gaza's media office.
A senior Israeli military official said on Wednesday that they estimate that their offensive on Gaza City would displace one million Palestinians.
According to an army statement, military chief Eyal Zamir said troops were already "intensifying our combat operations".
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A senior official from COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry's body overseeing civil affairs in Palestinian territories, said that "approximately 70,000" Palestinians had already left northern Gaza in recent days.
Last week, the United Nations called for decisive steps to end the conflict as the Gaza crisis deepened. Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said, "Today the world looks on in horror as the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate to levels not seen in recent history."
He said that Israel's expanded military operations in Gaza "will have catastrophic consequences". Alakbarov urged the international community to work together to move towards resolving the conflict.
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“The message from the international community is clear: the two-State solution remains the only viable path toward a just and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said.
Hamas again says 'ready for comprehensive Gaza deal'
Shortly after US President Donald Trump called on Hamas to release all 20 hostages, the militant group reiterated that it was ready for a comprehensive deal on a Gaza ceasefire, through which all Israeli hostages will be released in exchange for the release of an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office slammed Hamas's remarks and said, "Unfortunately, this is yet another spin by Hamas with nothing new in it."
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Earlier in August, Hamas agreed to a 60-day ceasefire deal with Israel that included the return of half of the hostages held in Gaza and Israel's release of some Palestinian prisoners.
An Egyptian official source had reportedly said that the proposal also included a suspension of Israeli military operations for 60 days and outlined a framework for a comprehensive deal to end the conflict.
