Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Israel's goal was not to occupy Gaza, but to "free Gaza."

“This will help free our hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future,” Netanyahu wrote. His post echoes sentiments he shared during a Fox News interview on Thursday, when he said a takeover of Gaza’s (formerly) most populous city would “liberate” its people.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Friday it will intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City, drawing a dismissal from the militant group and renewed international calls to end the conflict, while stirring fears for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

Hamas' meetings with Egyptian officials will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and "end the suffering of our people in Gaza," Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement.

The Revere lawmaker is the highest-ranking congressional Democrat to use that historically significant term to refer to the worsening conflict.

There is absolutely no doubt that the proposed appeasement from Western leaders will provide aid, comfort and a new resolve to the kinds of people who planned and carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

In Gaza and all areas under Israel's control, we are witnessing the complete stripping away of Palestinians' rights amid unrestrained Israeli violence

President Isaac Herzog visited Hostages Square on Sunday as Israelis marked a nationwide strike calling for the release of hostages still held in Gaza and