Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City, The Associated Press reported, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

The plan, announced early Friday local time after a cabinet meeting that ran late into the night, stops short of the full occupation of the Gaza Strip that Netanyahu had discussed earlier.

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Critics have said that taking over Gaza City will prolong the captivity of hostages, entrench the Israeli military even further into the conflict and result in a higher number of Palestinian civilian casualties.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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