Israel's security cabinet has approved plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Israeli military to occupy Gaza City, in an expansion of military operations that comes amid international condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

While Israel's security cabinet has — for now — only approved a takeover of Gaza City, it is still a major escalation in the war that targets the symbolic heart of Gaza and an area that has been largely untouched through the last 22 months of the war.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to give final approval Thursday for plans to take over Gaza City, an operation that could start within days. The widening of the 22-month offensive against Hamas appears to be proceeding despite protests in both Israel and the Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli military says it has killed a longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, as the country's security Cabinet met to discuss the expanding offensive in some of Gaza 's most populated areas.

The Israeli security cabinet is set to convene today to review plans for expanding the Gaza war and seizing control of Gaza City, as the government faces mounting international pressure and unprecedented domestic opposition,