Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured cabinet approval on Friday for a military takeover of Gaza City, which he described as part of a final push to topple Hamas after 22 months of fighting and recover its last 50 hostages, dead or alive. The decision to step up operations in the Gaza Strip’s biggest city marks an escalation in a conflict that’s already devastated the Palestinian territory, where the United Nations World Food Programme has warned half a million people are starving. “The Israel Defense Forces will prepare to seize Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside combat zones,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said upon the conclusion of the 10-hour Security Cabinet session. It said the plan’s objective was “defeat of Hamas.”

See Full Page