Israeli army chief to begin Gaza City assault 'soon'

Jerusalem, Aug 18 (IANS) Israeli military Chief Eyal Zamir has said that the army will "soon" begin a new offensive to take over Gaza City, the Gaza Strip's largest urban centre, despite international warnings about the consequences for the already devastated enclave.

Zamir made the remarks during a field tour in the strip, where he spoke with senior commanders and outlined plans for the next stage of fighting, the military said on Sunday.

"Soon we will move on to the next phase of Operation Gideon's Chariots," he said, referring to Israel's resumption of its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire that had included a phased hostage release, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the coming stage, Zamir said, the army would "continue to enhance the strikes against Hamas in Gaza City until its decisive defeat," deploying "all its capabilities on land, in the air and at sea".

He added that the military has a "moral obligation" to bring home hostages held in Gaza, both living and dead.

The remarks came a day after Israel announced plans to relocate residents from Gaza City.

COGAT, the Israeli Defence Ministry body overseeing humanitarian operations in the enclave, said distribution of tents to civilians would begin on Sunday, as part of the preparations "to move the population from combat zones to southern Gaza".

Hamas has condemned the plan, calling it a "new wave of genocide and displacement" for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City.

According to Gaza's health authorities, at least 61,944 Palestinians have been killed and 155,886 wounded by Israeli strikes and gunfire since October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters launched a deadly attack on Israel.

Gaza's health authorities said on Sunday that famine is continuing to spread, with hospitals reporting seven deaths in the past 24 hours, including two children, from hunger and malnutrition.

That brought the total to 258 deaths from starvation, among them 110 children.

Israel’s plans to expand its offensive into Gaza City come as diplomacy aimed at securing an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal has stalled for weeks, after the latest round of negotiations broke down in July.

--IANS

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