Hamas has reiterated that it is ready for a comprehensive Gaza deal through which all Israeli hostages are released in exchange for the release of an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office criticized Hamas' comments in a statement, saying "Unfortunately, this is yet another spin by Hamas with nothing new in it."

Netanyahu's office reiterated that the war in Gaza would only end if all hostages were released, Hamas was disarmed, the strip was demilitarized, Israel established security control over the enclave, and an alternative civilian administration was established.

Hamas in August agreed to a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel that includes the return of half the hostages held in Gaza and Israel's release of some Palestinian prisoners. An Egyptian official source said the proposal accepted by Hamas included a suspension of Israeli military operations for 60 days and outlined a framework for a comprehensive deal to end the nearly two-year-old conflict.

Netanyahu said days later that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and an end to the war, but on terms acceptable to Israel.

Netanyahu 'sacrificing' hostages, say families

Families of hostages held in Gaza and Israeli anti-war groups called for a three-day protest in Jerusalem, culminating on Friday -- day 700 since the Palestinian group Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel in October 2023.

The mother of soldier Matan Angrest, who is held in Gaza, appealed to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a news conference.

"I have been waiting 700 days for you to get my child out of hell, and it is in your hands. I could see Matan again tomorrow, with a single decision on your part," said Anat Angrest.

"Instead of seizing the agreement on the table to reach a comprehensive deal, you choose to continue sacrificing them, abandoning them."

Nira Sharabi, whose husband Yossi was killed in captivity, called for an end to the war.

"Military pressure endangers the lives of the hostages" and "jeopardizes the possibility of bringing back the dead" for burial, she said.

Israel expects a million Gazans to flee new offensive

Israel estimates that its imminent offensive on Gaza City would displace one million Palestinians, a senior military official said, as Gaza's civil defense reported dozens killed across the territory.

In Jerusalem, meanwhile, hundreds of Israeli protestors took to the streets to call for a truce and hostage release deal after nearly two years of war.

Israel's military has been building up its forces for the planned operation to seize Gaza City, the Palestinian territory's largest urban centre located in its northern part, despite mounting global concern for Palestinian civilians suffering dire humanitarian conditions.

Military chief Eyal Zamir said troops were already "intensifying our combat operations", according to an army statement.

The senior official from COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body that oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said "approximately 70,000" Palestinians had already left Gaza's north in recent days, fleeing the Israeli advance.

Briefing journalists on condition of anonymity, the official said Israeli authorities expected "a million people" to flee south, without giving a specific timeframe.

The vast majority of Gaza's more than two million people have been displaced at least once during nearly two years of war.

According to UN estimates, nearly a million people currently live in and around Gaza City, where famine has been declared.

In late August, an Israeli military spokesman said the evacuation of Gaza City was "inevitable", while the Red Cross has warned that any Israeli attempt to do so would be impossible in a safe and dignified manner.

Israeli bombardment pushes more Palestinians out of homes in Gaza City

Israeli bombardments on Thursday pushed more Palestinians out of their homes in Gaza City, while thousands of residents defied Israeli orders to leave, remaining behind in the ruins in the path of Israel's latest advance.

Gaza health authorities said Israeli fire across the enclave had killed at least 28 people on Thursday, most of them in Gaza City, where Israeli forces have advanced through the outer suburbs and are now a few miles from the city center.

Residents said Israel bombarded Gaza City's Zeitoun, Sabra and Shejaia districts from ground and air. Tanks pushed into the eastern part of the Sheikh Radwan district northwest of the city centre, destroying houses and causing fires in tent encampments.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on those reports. The Israeli military has said it is operating on the outskirts of the city to dismantle militants' tunnels and locate weapons.

Displacement could further endanger those most vulnerable, including many children who are suffering from malnutrition, said Amjad al-Shawa, the head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, an umbrella group of Palestinian NGOs that coordinates with the UN and international humanitarian agencies.

"This is going to be the most dangerous displacement since the war started," said Shawa. "People's refusal to leave despite the bombardment and the killing is a sign that they have lost faith."

Palestinian and UN officials say there is no safe place in Gaza, including areas Israel designates as humanitarian zones.

The war has caused a humanitarian crisis across the territory. Health officials in Gaza say 370 people, including 131 children, have so far died of malnutrition and starvation caused by acute food shortages, most in recent weeks. Israel says it is taking measures to improve the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, including increasing aid into the enclave.