Hamas has endorsed a new proposal for a ceasefire deal with Israel in Gaza, as it faces pressure from Arab countries and seeks to ensure its own survival.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to give final approval Thursday for plans to take over Gaza City, an operation that could start within days. The widening of the 22-month offensive against Hamas appears to be proceeding despite protests in both Israel and the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas said that Israel's plan to relocate residents from Gaza City constitutes a "new wave of genocide and displacement" for hundreds of thousands.

Israel said Wednesday its military had entered the first stages of a planned assault on the city, a campaign it begins while clashing publicly with major Western powers.

French President Emmanuel Macron calls Hamas hostage videos "unlimited inhumanity" while renewing calls for Gaza ceasefire and two-state solution with a Palestine recognition.

Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) faced backlash at a town hall event for his support of Israel during the ongoing Middle East conflict and war in Gaza.

Johann Wadephul and Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said the humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is unbearable and a two-state solution is the sole means of ending the conflict.

Few of the Israelis taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, have drawn as much attention as the Bibas family — two parents and two small children. For many Israelis, their abductions came to symbolize the brutality of the assault.