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.

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.”

An actor and musician whose mother was the victim of a suspected murder-suicide in France has urged her friends not to attend his stepfather’s funeral.

Callum Kerr, who starred in Hollyoaks and Netflix’s Virgin River, said it would be “inappropriate” for the memory of his mum to be associated with a service honouring the man who “may have been responsible for her death”.

The bodies of British couple Andrew and Dawn Searle were discovered on 6 February at their home in the hamlet of Les Pesquies.

Mrs Searle’s body was found outside the property with a significant head injury, while Mr Searle’s body was discovered inside.

Prosecutors later ruled the incident to be murder-suicide due to a lack of evidence that someone else was involved.

In an Instagram post on behalf of himself and his sister, Amanda Kerr, Mr Kerr said: “In the absence of any evidence suggesting third-party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide.”

Mr Kerr, a country music singer who is also set to appear in the second season of Netflix’s One Piece, said his mother was “killed by multiple blows to the head”, while “no defensive wounds” were found on Mr Searle.

Mr Kerr said: “While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand.

“For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew.

“Please do not share photographs of them together. Please do not attend Andrew’s service if you were a friend of our mother.

“It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death.

“We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.”

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Mr and Mrs Searle, who previously lived in Musselburgh in East Lothian, had been living in the Aveyron region for five years.

They lived in Les Pesquies and were married in 2023 in the nearby town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, with Mr Kerr walking his mum down the aisle.

Neighbours described them as a happy couple, who had fully integrated into rural French life and held an annual party for villagers.

Jean-Sebastien Orcibal, the mayor of Villefranche-de-Rouergue who conducted the couple’s wedding, told Sky News they were “very happy, very friendly and didn’t seem to have any problems”.

Mrs Searle, 56, grew up in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, while Mr Searle, 62, was originally from England.

According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Searle retired in 2015 after previously working in financial crime prevention at companies including Standard Life and Barclays.

Following the deaths, investigators were said to be following several lines of inquiry – including whether the couple were killed during a burglary or potential links to Mr Searle’s previous work in the UK.