Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel plans to widen its coming offensive beyond Gaza City to the last areas not yet under Israeli control, and where most of Gaza's 2 million residents have sought shelter as the territory slides toward famine.

Israel's new offensive in Gaza City could take weeks to start, leaving the door open for a ceasefire, officials say, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would get underway "fairly quickly" and end the war with Hamas' defeat.

Escalation of the war in Gaza is in sight. Last week, as the famine grew worse, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan for his country’s military to take control of Gaza City, a decision roundly condemned as a costly invasion that would create more suffering for Palestinians and risk the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity.