The Israeli Army announced this Wednesday that it approved the "framework" for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, days after the security cabinet called for the capture of Gaza City, the main agglomeration in the Palestinian territory.

The chief of staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, "approved the main framework of the army's operational plan in the Gaza Strip," according to a military statement.

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not provided a timetable for the entry of Israeli forces into the city, where thousands of people have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives.

According to the Gaza Civil Defense, the bombings Israeli airstrikes have intensified in recent days. The plan's approval came hours after Hamas announced that a delegation from the Islamist movement had arrived in Cairo for "preliminary talks" with Egyptian officials on a temporary truce. Israeli plans to expand the war in Gaza after 22 months of fighting have drawn international criticism and domestic opposition. UN-backed experts have warned of famine in the territory, where Israel has sharply limited the entry of humanitarian aid.