Displaced Palestinians make their way towards the site of a humanitarian aid airdrop at the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
The operation is expected to last about four months in several phases.
According to Kan, the first stage would see the evacuation of Gaza City within two weeks, followed by a ground invasion to encircle the area. Forces would then advance gradually while continuing airstrikes.
At least four divisions, combining standing brigades with reservists, are expected to take part, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said.
On Sunday, army chief of staff Eyal Zamir met senior commanders in Gaza to approve the next phase of the war.
Later, at a special meeting at the Gaza Division headquarters, he finalized operational plans.
Defense minister Israel Katz is due to review them before submitting them to the cabinet, Israeli media reported.
A military source told Walla news site that about 80,000 ground troops would be involved, warning the operation could inflict heavy losses on Hamas but carries significant risks for Israel’s forces.
An Israeli source told Kan the displacement plan would be formally shared with Washington “upon its request.”
'New wave of genocide'
Palestinian resistance group Hamas denounced the plan as a “new wave of genocide and displacement” for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid to Gaza, said it had begun preparing tents and equipment to relocate Palestinians from combat zones to the south. Hamas dismissed this as a “blatant deception” designed to “cover up a brutal crime that the occupation forces will execute.”
Israel's plan to further expand the genocide into Gaza City and surrounding refugee camps has already drawn both international and domestic criticism.
The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres warned it was a “dangerous escalation” that risked “deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians.”
Death toll and famine
UN-backed experts have repeatedly warned of famine as Israel continues to restrict aid.
A total blockade imposed in March halted deliveries entirely; while some shipments have since resumed, aid agencies say supplies remain far below what is needed.
On Monday, Gaza’s health ministry said seven people—including two children—had died in the past 24 hours from hunger and malnutrition. It put the overall death toll from starvation at 258, among them 110 children.
Since the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, the occupation army has killed over 62,000 Palestinians in the strip and injured over 153,000, most of them women and children.
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