Israel says it will retake Gaza City, escalating war with Hamas

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.

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.