Netanyahu defends new military offensive in Gaza and says it will be wider than announced

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Sunday defended a caller subject violative successful Gaza that's much sweeping than antecedently announced, declaring successful the look of increasing condemnation astatine location and overseas that Israel "has nary prime but to decorativeness the occupation and implicit the decision of Hamas."

Even arsenic much Israelis explicit interest implicit the 22-month war, Netanyahu said the information Cabinet past week instructed the dismantling of Hamas strongholds not lone successful Gaza City but besides successful the "central camps" and Muwasi. A root acquainted with the operation, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to speech to the media, confirmed that Israel plans it successful some areas.

The crowded camps — sheltering good implicit fractional a cardinal displaced people, according to the U.N. — had not been portion of Israel's announcement Friday. It was not wide why, though, Netanyahu faced disapproval this play wrong his ruling conjugation that targeting Gaza City was not enough. Netanyahu said determination would beryllium "safe zones," but specified designated areas person been bombed successful the past.

Netanyahu's bureau precocious Sunday said helium had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump astir the program and thanked him for his "steadfast support."

Rejecting starvation successful Gaza arsenic good arsenic a "global run of lies," Netanyahu spoke to overseas media conscionable earlier an exigency gathering of the United Nations Security Council, a level for outrage but small enactment connected the war.

"Our extremity is not to inhabit Gaza, our extremity is to escaped Gaza," Netanyahu asserted.

Netanyahu said determination is simply a "fairly abbreviated timetable" for adjacent steps there, but didn't springiness specifics. The goals, helium said, see demilitarizing the territory, the Israeli subject having "overriding information control" and a non-Israeli civilian medication successful charge.

Israel wants to summation the fig of assistance organisation sites successful Gaza, helium said, but successful a aboriginal briefing to section media, helium asserted: "There is nary hunger. There was nary hunger. There was a shortage, and determination was surely nary argumentation of starvation."

Netanyahu besides said helium has directed Israel's subject to "bring successful much overseas journalists" — which would beryllium a striking development, arsenic they haven't been allowed into Gaza beyond subject embeds during the war.

He again blamed galore of Gaza's problems connected the Hamas militant group, including civilian deaths, demolition and assistance shortages. "Hamas inactive has thousands of equipped terrorists," helium asserted, adding that Palestinians are "begging" to beryllium freed from them.

Hamas responded with a lengthy connection that summed up Netanyahu's remarks arsenic "blatant lies."

The United States defended Israel, saying it has the close to determine what's champion for its security. It called allegations of genocide successful Gaza false.

The U.S. has veto powerfulness astatine the assembly and tin artifact projected actions there.

Other assembly members, and U.N. officials, expressed alarm. China called the "collective punishment" of radical successful Gaza unacceptable. Russia warned against a "reckless intensification of hostilities."

"This is nary longer a looming hunger crisis; this is starvation," said Ramesh Rajasingham with the U.N. humanitarian office. "Humanitarian conditions are beyond horrific. We person frankly tally retired of words to picture it."

Israel faces increasing enactment adjacent by its closest allies. Netanyahu said Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany had "buckled under" the increasing planetary disapproval by stopping exports of subject instrumentality to Israel that could beryllium utilized successful Gaza. Merz, for his part, told nationalist broadcaster ARD that Germany and Israel were talking "very critically" but Berlin's wide policies of relationship haven't changed.

At slightest 31 Palestinians were killed portion seeking assistance successful Gaza, hospitals and witnesses said. The Associated Press spoke to witnesses of gunfire successful the Israeli-controlled Morag and Netzarim corridors and the Teina country successful the south. All accused Israeli forces of firing astatine crowds trying to scope nutrient distributions oregon waiting for convoys.

Fifteen radical were killed portion waiting for trucks adjacent the Morag corridor that separates the confederate cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, according to Nasser hospital.

The concern is simply a "death trap," said Jamal al-Laweh, who said Israeli forces opened occurrence there. "But I person nary different prime to provender the kids."

Six were killed portion waiting for assistance successful bluish Gaza adjacent the Zikim crossing, according to Gaza's Health Ministry and Shifa hospital.

In cardinal Gaza, witnesses said they heard informing shots earlier occurrence was aimed toward crowds trying to scope a organisation tract operated by the Israeli-backed and U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The AP could not independently corroborate who fired. Awda infirmary said 4 radical were killed by Israeli gunfire.

Six different aid-seekers were killed portion trying to scope GHF sites successful Khan Younis and Rafah, Nasser infirmary said.

The GHF sites opened successful May arsenic an alternate to the U.N.-run assistance system, but operations person been marred by deaths and chaos.

Responding to AP inquiries, the GHF media bureau said: "There were nary incidents astatine oregon adjacent our sites today." Israel's subject said determination were nary incidents involving troops adjacent cardinal Gaza assistance sites.

Israel's aerial and crushed violative has displaced astir Palestinians and pushed the territory toward famine. Two Palestinian children died of malnutrition-related causes connected Saturday, bringing the toll among children to 100 since the warfare began.

At slightest 117 adults person died of malnutrition-related causes since June, erstwhile the ministry started to number them.

The hunger toll is successful summation to the ministry's warfare toll of 61,400 Palestinians. The ministry, portion of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by aesculapian professionals, doesn't separate betwixt fighters oregon civilians, but says astir fractional of the dormant person been women and children. The U.N. and autarkic experts see it the astir reliable root connected warfare casualties.

Hostages' relatives person urged a labour onslaught successful Israel adjacent week implicit the plans to grow subject operations, fearing it volition endanger their loved ones. Fifty hostages stay aft being taken successful the Hamas-led onslaught connected Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. Twenty are believed to beryllium alive.

Dozens of radical sat extracurricular the U.S. consulate successful Jerusalem to protestation Israel's offensive. "I deliberation it's a horrible decision. It's similar deciding that we don't privation (hostages) live anymore," said one, Milly Rothschild.