Israeli tanks have approached the center of Gaza City, hours before a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, "Reuters".
Last week, Washington offered Arab and Muslim countries a 21-point plan for a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages. Two regional diplomats said the proposal contained broad goals rather than specific mechanisms, with Israel and Arab states pushing for changes.
Egypt, the mediator in the talks, fears that the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority could be forced out of Gaza and has demanded guarantees that Israel will abide by the terms of the agreement.
Netanyahu remains skeptical, particularly on the question of the role of Palestinian security forces after the war and the ouster of Hamas from the enclave. Hamas has said it is ready to release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, but refuses to disarm until the Palestinians have their own state.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops carried out one of their biggest offensives yet, advancing within a few hundred meters of the Al-Shifa hospital, where hundreds of patients are still being treated.
Tanks also surrounded the Al-Helo hospital, which is housing 90 patients, including 12 babies in incubators. Medical sources said the building was shelled overnight.
The humanitarian crisis is deepening as Israel faces growing international isolation. Britain and France have already recognized Palestinian independence, despite Tel Aviv's objections.
According to Israeli figures, Hamas-led militants sparked the war nearly two years ago, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages in an attack on Israel. Health officials in Gaza say more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive since then.
Arab leaders frustrated by Trump's opposition to recognizing a Palestinian state
In Israel's latest offensive, troops demolished neighborhoods in Gaza City, dynamiting buildings they say were used by Hamas. Hundreds of thousands of residents fled, though many say they have nowhere to go. Israel has told them to head south, where other towns have already been destroyed.
On Monday, the Israeli military said it was continuing to target militant groups. Medics said the military killed at least 18 people in Gaza on Monday, most of them in Gaza City.
Previous U.S.-backed ceasefire efforts have failed due to an inability to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu's far-right allies in the Israeli government want the war to continue until Hamas is completely defeated. But the Gaza offensive is also a source of domestic political tension, with families of hostages saying it is time to seek a peace deal to bring their loved ones home.
The Hostage Families Forum, which represents many relatives of those held captive in Gaza, sent a letter to Trump before his meeting with Netanyahu, urging him not to allow anyone to sabotage the deal he is proposing to end the war.
"The stakes are too high and our families have waited too long for any intervention to derail this progress," they wrote.