Israeli army vehicles roll in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza Strip. AFP
"Today we are approving the plan for the next phase of the war," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during a field visit to the Palestinian territory, according to an army statement.
"We will maintain the momentum of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots' while focusing on Gaza City. We will continue to strike until the decisive defeat of Hamas," he said.
The deadliest phase in Israel's war on Gaza, dubbed "Gideon's Chariots" by the Israeli army, began in mid-May.
"We will continue to strike until the decisive defeat of Hamas, with the hostages always at the forefront of our minds," Zamir added, as Israel has sought to frame its killing of civilians en masse as a war with Hamas.
UN experts, rights groups, and aid agencies have already warned Israel's war in Gaza amounts to genocide, with Gaza's health ministry reporting on Sunday that at least 61,944 Palestinians have been killed and 155,886 others injured, the vast majority women and children, since the war began in October 2023.
Independent estimates suggest the true death toll in Gaza is much higher, as a number of victims remain under the rubble, unable to be reached by ambulances and civil defense teams due to Israel's non-stop bombardment.
Last month, Israel’s security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a plan to occupy Gaza City and ethnically cleanse hundreds of thousands of its residents to the south of the strip amid global condemnation.
In response to Israel's plans for an expanded offensive, Hamas said they would result in "a new wave of extermination and mass displacement."
The Palestinian group also condemned the proposals as "a major war crime," which it said reflected Israel's "disregard for international and humanitarian law."
More than 90 percent of Gaza's population has been displaced under Israel's bombardment, which has destroyed their homes and reduced most of the strip to rubble.
In tandem, Israel's five-month blockade of Gaza has led to widespread famine, which has hit vulnerable groups, such as children, the sick, and the elderly, especially hard.
Gaza hospitals recorded seven deaths due to starvation and malnutrition over the past 24 hours, including two children, bringing the total number to 258, including 110 children.
Zamir has lauded Israel's genocidal war as having "achieved its objectives," saying, "Hamas no longer possesses the same capabilities," and the military had dealt the Palestinian group a "severe blow."
"The current campaign is not a pinpoint one; it is just another layer in a long-term and planned strategy," he added, without elaborating.
The statement comes as a leaked recording of Israel’s former army intelligence chief Aharon Haliva surfaced with him saying Palestinians need a "Nakba from time to time" to feel the consequences of their actions, affirming that the mass killing of civilians in Gaza should serve as a "warning to future generations."
On Friday, the army said its troops were conducting a series of operations on the outskirts of Gaza City, where residents have been reporting intense strikes and ground incursions for days.
Israel on Saturday said it was preparing "to move the population from combat zones to the southern Gaza Strip for their protection," in what many countries have condemned as an act of ethnic cleansing.
The same day, Israeli broadcaster KAN reported that top military commanders were set to meet Sunday to discuss the fine print of the plan to occupy Gaza City.
Hamas said Israel's statements on this, including its plans for the installation of tents in southern Gaza, were "a blatant deception to cover up the imminent massacre and forced displacement."
Israel's army radio reported on Sunday residents would be evacuated before troops encircle Gaza City and finally seize it, beginning "in the coming weeks."
Tens of thousands of reservist soldiers would be called up for the mission, the report added.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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