By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Militant group Hamas’ chief negotiator held talks with Egyptian mediators over a potential ceasefire in the Gaza war on Wednesday while Israel struck the territory’s main city prior to a planned takeover and again invited Palestinians to leave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated an idea – also enthusiastically floated by U.S. President Donald Trump – that Palestinians should simply leave the enclave housing more than 2 million people after nearly two years of conflict.

“They’re not being pushed out, they’ll be allowed to exit,” he told Israeli television channel i24NEWS. “All those who are concerned for the Palestinians and say they want to help the Palestinians should open their gates and stop lecturing us

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