Israel's new offensive in Gaza City could take weeks to start, leaving the door open for a ceasefire, officials say, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would get underway "fairly quickly" and end the war with Hamas' defeat.

A UCLA professor of Israeli studies says Netanyahu does not have an exit plan if IDF troops occupy Gaza’s largest city.

Netanyahu’s office says he has spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about the plan and thanked him for his support.