Israel Plans To Widen Offensive Beyond Gaza City

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel plans to widen its coming offensive beyond Gaza City to the last areas not yet under Israeli control. Most of Gaza’s 2 million residents have sought shelter in those areas as the territory slides toward famine. The mobilization of forces is expected to take weeks, and Israel may be using the threat of a wider offensive to try to pressure Hamas. Any expansion of Israeli operations is likely to bring even more death and destruction to the war-ravaged territory. The plans have also sparked controversy in Israel, where many fear for the lives of the remaining hostages.