Israel will give Palestinians in Gaza until October 7 to evacuate before it launches a full military occupation.

Set for the two-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre which triggered the latest war, the expansion has drawn fresh condemnation both at home and abroad.

In Israel, families of hostages held by militants in Gaza and opposition leaders blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a decision that they said would put captives’ lives at risk.

The Hostage Relatives Forum, an organisation representing the majority of hostage families, called the expansion of the war in Gaza a ‘death sentence’ for those still held in the enclave. A spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres says Israel’s plan for Gaza City marks a ‘dangerous escalation’ in the enclave.

‘Palestinians in Gaza conti

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