Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Sunday that Israel's plan to relocate residents from Gaza City constitutes a "new wave of genocide and displacement" for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area.

Asked in an interview with Fox News if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza,” Netanyahu replied: “We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza.” The Security Cabinet would still need to approve such a decision.

Families of hostages held in Gaza are stepping up their campaign to secure their release by holding a strike across Israel.

Nearly two years of demonstrations have failed to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal with Hamas that would end the war and free the remaining captives.