Israel is stepping up pressure on the Islamic group Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that it has approved the main framework for the operational plan to take control of Gaza City

.IDF Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir made the decision during a discussion with senior military and security officials. The IDF said he emphasized the importance of increasing troop readiness and preparedness for reserve recruitment ahead of the upcoming missions.

An Israeli media outlet quoted sources as saying that the military takeover will begin after residents of Gaza City are evacuated, which is expected to happen by October 7.

Meanwhile, Hamas announced on Tuesday that it has sent a delegation to Egypt to hold talks with senior Egyptian government officials. An Arab media outlet said the talks are aimed at resuming ceasefire negotiations. Those negotiations have been stalled since the end of last month.

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