Israel will call up 60,000 reservists as it prepares to launch an expanded military operation in Gaza City.

The military said the country’s defence minister Israel Katz has approved plans to begin a new phase of operations in some of the most densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces will operate in areas of Gaza City where they have not yet operated and where it believes Hamas is still active, a military official said.

The city is the main military and governing stronghold of Hamas and Israeli troops will target the group’s vast underground network, the official added.

Although Israel has targeted and killed much of Hamas’ senior leadership, parts of the group are actively regrouping and carrying out attacks, including launching rockets towards Israel, the official said.

It remains unclear when the operation will begin, but it could be a matter of days.

The official said 60,000 reservists will be called up in the coming month and the service of an additional 20,000 reservists currently serving will be lengthened.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the objectives of the war are to secure the release of the remaining hostages and destroy Hamas.

International criticism of Israel increased after the planned offensive was announced earlier this month amid fears of another mass displacement of Palestinians.

The families of the hostages and former army and intelligence chiefs oppose an expanded operation in Gaza City, with most of the families of hostages wanting an immediate ceasefire.

They worry an expanded assault could threaten prospects of bringing the 50 remaining hostages home. Israel believes 20 of those are still alive.

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The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251.

Many of the hostages have been released in ceasefires and other deals, with Hamas saying it will only free the remainder in exchange of a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal.

More than 62,000 people have been killed during Israel’s 22-month counteroffensive, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up around half of those killed.

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Earlier this week, the ministry said 154 adults had died of malnutrition-related causes since the ministry began counting such deaths in late June, and 112 children have died of malnutrition-related causes since the war began.

Thousands have fled parts of Gaza City in recent days amid airstrikes and advancing Israeli troops, new satellite imagery shows.

Israel’s advance comes as it prepares to mount a full-scale invasion of the city, where the UN says around one million Palestinians are sheltering.

Satellite imagery shows that entire tent camps in southeast Gaza City were emptied between 9 and 17 August as families fled the renewed attacks.

The video below shows the moment of an airstrike in southeastern Gaza City on 13 August. Sky News geolocated the footage to a building less than 200 metres from a major tent camp.

Another video, taken on 15 August, shows a strike on a building right next to the camp.

By the following day, almost all the camp’s residents had fled, along with people sheltering at 30 other locations in the area.

Fresh vehicle tracks in the area indicate extensive troop movements on the ground.

The satellite image below, taken on 17 August, shows at least nine military vehicles in the streets surrounding one former tent camp.

Sky News counted 58 military vehicles in the area on 17 August, including 17 bulldozers.

The image below shows four IDF vehicles, including a bulldozer, parked next to the remains of one tent camp. Several nearby buildings had been levelled in the days beforehand.

Between 9 and 17 August, at least 132 buildings were destroyed in less than one square kilometre of the city.

It’s unclear how much of the destruction was carried out by IDF bulldozers and how much was a result of airstrikes.

On Monday, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli tanks had made further advances into eastern Gaza City.

The advances came as Hamas said it had approved a ceasefire deal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar. Israel has yet to respond to the proposal.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his country’s military to prepare for a full-scale invasion and occupation of the city in order to “free Gaza from Hamas”.

The UN has said that the invasion risks “catastrophic consequences” for the estimated one million Palestinians sheltering in the city, while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the plan would “only bring more bloodshed”.

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An investigation has been launched into the death of an internet streamer who was known for taking part in extreme online challenges.

Raphael Graven, who went by Jean Pormanove, was found dead in Contes, near Nice, on Sunday night.

Viewers of the Frenchman’s last live stream on the Twitch-like platform Kick had reportedly become concerned about him lying lifeless on a mattress, unresponsive to their comments.

According to France24, prosecutors said the 46-year-old had been in accommodation rented for the purpose of broadcasting internet live streams. The broadcast had reportedly been running for 10 days.

French newspaper Le Monde said Graven was known for participating in videos in which he suffered violence and humiliation, alongside two colleagues. One man was seen throwing a water bottle at him as he laid on the mattress.

France’s digital technology minister, Clara Chappaz, said he had been “humiliated and abused for months”.

“A judicial investigation is underway,” she said.

“Holding online platforms responsible for the dissemination of illegal content is not an option: it is the law.

“This type of failure can lead to the worst and has no place in France, Europe, or anywhere else.”

Sarah El Hairy, France’s high commissioner for children, described his death as “horrifying”.

“Platforms have an immense responsibility to regulate online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content,” she said. “I urge parents to be extremely vigilant.”

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Graven had more than one million followers across social media.

He was particularly popular on Kick, which was founded in 2022 as a competitor to Amazon-owned Twitch. It’s known for having looser moderation, and offers creators a higher share of revenue.

A spokesperson for Kick told Sky News: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jean Pormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends, and community.

“We are urgently reviewing the circumstances and engaging with relevant stakeholders to investigate the situation.

“Kick’s community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we remain committed to upholding these standards across our platform.”