The drums of war are pounding on the doorstep of Gaza City. Residents of the largest city in northern Gaza, packed with locals and refugees, fear the hours are ticking down before a looming Israeli offensive.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Gaza city could "turn into Rafah and Beit Hanoun" unless Hamas agrees to Israel's terms.

Israel says it will call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of others for a planned offensive in Gaza City and other heavily populated areas, ratcheting up pressure on Hamas as ceasefire talks show signs of progress.

As the earliest stages of a massive assault on Gaza City take shape, Israel is calling up tens of thousands of reservists to take part in the impending military operation.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which organized the "Israel on Hold” protests, said that over a million people took part in the demonstrations across the country on Sunday. Per the organization, almost 500,000 protesters gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The world’s leading authority on food crises said Friday the Gaza Strip’s largest city is gripped by famine, and that it is likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says it rejects "any step that would undermine what remains of the health system".

Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state came after the government sensed a major shift in the domestic mood over the war in Gaza, and showed that Canberra was unafraid of upsetting Israel,