• Israel's Cabinet has unanimously approved a plan to expand military operations in Gaza, including the "conquest" of the territory.
• Over 52,600 Palestinians have been killed since the onset of the conflict in October 2023, mostly women and children, amid continuous Israeli airstrikes.
• Humanitarian organizations condemn the Israeli blockade, warning of famine and severe shortages of food, medicine, and basic supplies in Gaza.
• Israeli officials state that the plan includes the "cleansing" of Gaza to ensure security and return of hostages, which has drawn widespread international condemnation.

The Israeli government has announced an extensive military plan aimed at the "conquest" of Gaza, which will involve displacing much of the Palestinian population to the south for perceived safety. The plan comes amid an escalating humanitarian crisis, with at least 52,615 Palestinians reported killed since the conflict intensified in October 2023. This figure includes recently reported casualties, with 48 Palestinians killed in the last day alone due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes, highlighting the brutal nature of the military operations, according to the aa and aa.

As part of this new military strategy, which was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, Israeli forces plan to call up many reservists and escalate operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Notably, Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich stated that a victorious campaign would lead to the complete destruction of Gaza. He urged that this destruction would push civilians to relocate, which he deemed a necessary step against Hamas, as reported by CBS and channelnewsasia.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated drastically, with UN agencies and humanitarian groups warning of looming famine and mass shortages due to the total blockade imposed by Israel since March 2. Aid organizations claim that the Israeli blockade severely limits supplies of food, water, and medical assistance, which has led to widespread suffering among the population. Humanitarian agencies are increasingly condemning the situation as a violation of international law as they attempt to deliver aid under life-threatening conditions, as discussed by BBC and trtglobal.

Hamas officials have publicly rejected the Israeli military plan, labeling it as a sacrifice of hostages and a continuation of violence against civilians. They have expressed hopelessness regarding ceasefire negotiations while the so-called "hunger war" continues, relating their situation to a growing humanitarian crisis affecting the entire Strip, according to reports from trtglobal and aljazeera.

The situation remains tense, with military and political implications that extend beyond the immediate region, drawing condemnation from various international bodies and humanitarian organizations, as they contend that the ongoing military campaign exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe across Gaza, emphasized by NY Times and Middle East Eye.