Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced the approval of a plan to capture Gaza City, but also held out the prospect of new negotiations on a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will give final approval for the takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas.

As Israel tightened its grip on the city's outskirts, meditators continued to wait for an official Israeli reaction to their latest ceasefire proposal that Hamas accepted earlier this week.