Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir "approved the main framework for the IDF's operational plan in the Gaza Strip," a statement released by the army said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not provided a precise timetable for when Israeli troops will enter the territory's largest city, where thousands have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on Gaza City have intensified in recent days, with the residential neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra hit "with very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings".
News of the military's approval of the plan comes hours after Hamas said a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for "preliminary talks" with Egyptian officials on a temporary truce.
The Netanyahu government's plans to expand the Gaza war after more than 22 months of fighting have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.
UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.
Hamas's October 2023 attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.
New row between Israel defence minister and military chief
Jerusalem (AFP) Aug 12, 2025 -
Israel's defence minister on Tuesday reprimanded the country's military chief over appointments made without his approval, as tensions simmered between the military and the executive ahead of a planned expansion of the war in Gaza.
A statement from the defence minister Israel Katz's ministry said that deliberations conducted by chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir on military appointments "took place... without prior coordination or agreement" with the minister.
The statement added that this was "in violation of accepted procedure" and that Katz therefore "does not intend to discuss or approve any of the appointments or names that were published."
In an army statement published shortly afterwards, Zamir responded that he was "the sole authority authorised to appoint officers from the rank of colonel upwards".
"The chief of staff makes the appointment decisions -- after which the appointment is brought to the minister for approval," the statement added.
Tensions have been simmering for two weeks between the chief of staff and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over the next steps in the military operation in Gaza, aimed at freeing the remaining hostages and defeating Hamas.
Israeli media reported that Zamir was opposed to a plan approved by the security cabinet on Friday to take control of all of densely populated Gaza City.
Israeli media reported that Zamir favoured encircling Gaza's largest city, rather than conquering it.
The Israeli army controls around 75 percent of the Palestinian territory which has been devastated by 22 months of war.
Zamir, who was appointed in March after his predecessor was dismissed, said last week that he would continue expressing the military's position "without fear, in a pragmatic, independent, and professional manner".
Katz meanwhile said that the army chief could "express his views", but that the military would ultimately have to "execute" any government decisions on Gaza.
Gaza civil defence says Israeli strikes on Gaza City intensifying
Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories (AFP) Aug 12, 2025 -
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on Gaza City have intensified in recent days, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet approving plans to expand the war there.
The Israeli government has not provided an exact timetable on when its forces would enter the area, but according to the civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal, air strikes on Gaza City have been increasing for the past three days.
Bassal said the residential neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra have been hit "with very heavy airstrikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings".
"For the third consecutive day, the Israeli occupation is intensifying its bombardment," said the spokesman.
"The Israeli occupation is using all types of weapons in that area -- bombs, drones, and also highly explosive munitions that cause massive destruction to civilian homes," he added.
Bassal said that at least 24 people had been killed across Gaza on Tuesday, including several casualties caused by strikes on Gaza City.
"The bombardment has been extremely intense for the past two days. With every strike, the ground shakes. There are martyrs under the rubble that no one can reach because the shelling hasn't stopped," said Majed al-Hosary, a resident in Zeitoun.
Israel has faced mounting criticism over the 22-month-long war with Hamas, with United Nations-backed experts warning of widespread famine unfolding in besieged Gaza.
Netanyahu is under mounting pressure to secure the release of the remaining hostages, as well as over his plans to expand the war, which he has vowed to do with or without the backing of Israel's allies.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,499 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, whose toll the United Nations considers reliable.
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