As we've been reporting, Israel doesn't allow international journalists into Gaza to report freely.

The BBC works with journalists inside the territory, who can interview Gazans and share what's happening.

Um Saadi tells us she's been evacuated 15 times since the start of the war.

Asked if she'll evacuate again after Israel's plan to take over Gaza City, she says she's not sure yet.

"We might evacuate or stay here, or wait to see what they plan to do with us," she says.

Saadi says Hamas needs to hand over the hostages, so that Israel "won't invade us".

"Give them the hostages and spare us," she says.

Asked if she has children, Saadi says they ask her for food and drinks but she "cannot provide for them".

Frustrated, she says: "Hamas provides for itself, they eat and drink, while we cannot provide food or drinks."

Saadi also says she's sick and can't find medicines in the territory.

"Until when will we keep living in these conditions? We have been struggling for two years."

Image source, Reuters

For many displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, Israel’s planned takeover will mean leaving their homes yet again after several long and dangerous journeys from place to place.

"I don’t know where to go. Where should we go to?" says Sabrin Naaim, who came to Gaza City from Beit Hanoun in the north-east, but has moved to several areas of the Strip during the conflict.

"Either way we are living in tents," she tells Reuters news agency. "Our whole lives we will be in tents, until when? What does the army want us to do?"

Image source, Reuters

Maghzouza Saada, also originally from Beit Hanoun, says there is "no space" in the south of Gaza for them.

"I am old. How can I move, how can I walk, how can I go?" she says.

"The south is not safe, Gaza City is not safe, the north is not safe. Where should we go? Do we throw ourselves into the sea?"

Next, there are questions about whether we might see a campaign of civil disobedience in Israel in response to the takeover decision.

Our Jerusalem correspondent Emir Nadeh says: "The next election isn't due until autumn next year, unless parliament is dissolved - which doesn't look likely.

"We've seen mixed polling about how Israelis feel.

"Most people support a ceasefire deal, want the war to end, want the hostages returned, and want a deal with Hamas.

"However, some polls also show support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Around 80% of Israelis say they're not troubled by the hunger situation in Gaza or reports of starvation.

"The protests by hostages' families are interesting, as more of them are talking about starvation in Gaza, which is drawing in a wider group of people who are troubled by the situation.

"But what we're seeing is that, while these hostage protests are happening, it's not turning into a mass movement on the streets."

An audience member asks what the difference is between taking "control" and "occupying" an area.

BBC correspondent Joe Inwood explains that, if you're an "occupying power", you have a "legal obligation".

Inwood goes on to say that some people say Israel "bears responsibility for the starvation in the Gaza Strip because they are an occupying power and that comes with legal responsibilities".

However, regardless of the language used, Inwood says many of Israel's critics - and even some of its allies abroad - would not accept the idea that, by Israel "taking control" of Gaza City, it would remove their legal responsibility.

Image source, EPA

Asked how much of a fighting force Hamas has got left in Gaza, our world correspondent Joe Inwood says that before the 7 October attacks, it was estimated there were between 20,000 and 30,000 fighters.

Israel now says those numbers are down to around 18,000.

Inwood goes on to explain a point made by former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said that as many fighters have been recruited as have been killed, with the war acting as a recruitment motivation for Hamas because of anger at Israel's attacks.

Inwood also says that while the Israeli military has been successful in eliminating Hamas leaders, the philosophy of the movement hasn't been adequately combatted.

Our correspondents are now answering your questions on the Israeli plan to take over Gaza City and what this means for the region.

We’ll bring you text updates from the Q&A here, and you can also tune in by clicking Watch live at the top of this page.

As news about Benjamin Netanyahu's new takeover plan emerges, global attention has turned to Gaza City.

Many people in the city are now living in tents, having been displaced from their homes, which have been destroyed by Israeli strikes.

Here are some images from there today.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Gaza City is the largest city in the Gaza Strip.

Before the war, Gaza City’s less than 18 sq miles (48 sq km) was home to about 775,000 people, out of a total population of 2.1 million Gazans. It’s one of the most densely populated places in the world.

Located in northern Gaza, it was among the first areas targeted by the Israeli military early in the war and has suffered the heaviest destruction, according to satellite data studied by analysts at the CUNY Graduate Center and Oregon State University.

Gaza City is also home to al-Shifa Hospital, once the largest medical facility in Gaza. It was largely destroyed by a two-week raid by Israeli forces last year, but is now partially functional, with its emergency department reopened.

Israeli media estimate that approximately one million people now live in Gaza City and will need to move further south under the takeover plan. The exact figure is hard to verify, as the Israeli government does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report freely.

Neha Gohil
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

As UK Foreign Minister David Lammy is having a meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance, let's bring you a recap of the latest developments.

What's happened today?

• Israel has announced its military will "prepare to take control of Gaza City" during a new phase of its military operations - here's what we know and don't know about the plans

• Earlier Netanyahu has said he wanted Israel to control all of Gaza, but he did "not want to keep it"
• This is likely the first phase of a full takeover of the Gaza Strip, which could take months, our Middle East correspondent writes

How did world leaders respond?

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has labelled it “wrong", while the United Nations' human rights chief Volker Türk warns further escalation will cause “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering"
• Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the country is suspending the export of arms to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip
• This halt to arms exports is a significant step, says our reporter in Munich

How about Israelis and Palestinians?

• Gazans have been sharing their fears of more destruction and displacement, with one criticising Hamas's leaders: "Who are you to decide to sacrifice us?"
• In Tel Aviv, hostages' families have urged the people of Israel to "stop this dangerous course of action", adding that the Israeli government is "leading us toward a colossal catastrophe for both the hostages and our soldiers"
• Polls suggest the vast majority of the Israeli public favour a deal with Hamas for the release of the hostages and the end of the war, our Middle East Correspondent writes

Image source, Reuters

Lammy tells reporters that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is discussing the issues with Donald Trump every week.

He adds that he is worried about what is developing in Gaza and the recent Israeli security cabinet decision - especially about the impact this could have on the Israeli hostages.

And that brings the short news conference to an end.

JD Vance says the US's first goal is to make sure "Hamas cannot attack innocent Israeli citizens ever again", which he says must happen "through the eradication of Hamas".

Asked if Trump knew about Israel's plan to take over Gaza City, Vance says he won't discuss private conversations between the Israeli and US governments.

He adds that Trump will address the issue, saying their aim is to stop Hamas "attacking innocent people" and to solve the humanitarian problems in Gaza.

JD Vance highlights the "special relationship" between the US and the UK, and says their discussion will cover the Middle East, as well as the UK-US economic partnership.

He is then asked by a reporter for his thoughts on the UK's decision to recognise a Palestinian state if Israel doesn't meet certain conditions.

Vance says this will be discussed.

He goes on saying the US has no plans to do the same and he doesn't know "what it would mean to recognise a Palestinian state given the lack of a functional government there".

The US's first goal is to ensure that "Hamas cannot attack innocent Israeli citizens ever again", which has to come "through the eradication of Hamas", Vance says.

He says President Trump has been "very moved by these terrible images of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza" and they want to solve this problem.

Vance adds: "Obviously, it's not an easy problem to solve, or it would have already been dealt with, but we share, I think, that focus and that goal. We may have some disagreements about how exactly to accomplish that goal, and we'll talk about that today."

Lammy opens the meeting, saying they'll be speaking about the conflict in the Middle East.

He says the situation in Gaza is of "great concern".

The pair shake hands, before Vance says it's a pleasure to be in the UK.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is now meeting US Vice-President JD Vance in Kent, England.

We'll bring you the latest updates here - stay with us.

How many weapons does Germany export to Israel?published at 14:29 British Summer Time 8 August

14:29 BST 8 August

By Anthony Reuben

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced the country will stop exporting weapons to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

Merz said it was "increasingly difficult to understand" how the Israeli military plan would help achieve legitimate aims.

Between Hamas's attack on 7 October 2023 and mid-May 2025, Germany approved military equipment exports to Israel worth €485m (£421m), according to a parliamentary answer in June.

By comparison, the UK exports very little directly to Israel, although there has been some focus on parts for US jets that the UK manufactures that may then be sold to Israel.

• Read more: Is the UK selling arms to Israel?

Over the last few hours, we’re seeing more reactions from the international community. Here are some of them.

Belgium’s foreign ministry has summoned the Israeli ambassador after news of Israel’s plans to take over Gaza City.

Saudi Arabia says it "categorically denounces Israeli occupation authorities' persistence in committing crimes of starvation, brutal practices, and ethnic cleansing against the brotherly Palestinian people".

Portugal says it is "deeply concerned about the Israeli government's new plan to occupy Gaza", adding that it undermines efforts for a ceasefire and "aggravates the humanitarian tragedy".

Jordan’s foreign ministry has also criticised the plan, saying it is "an extension of the Israeli government's extremist policy of using starvation and siege as weapons against the Palestinian people".

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

In Chevening House in England, US Vice-President JD Vance is about to meet the UK's Foreign Secretary, David Lammy.

The two men have both spoken out recently about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

They agree that Israel must open up aid deliveries.

At the UN last month Lammy said “children are starving, and Israel’s drip feeding of aid has horrified the world”.

A day earlier Vance, at an event in Ohio, had said there were “really heartbreaking cases. You’ve got little kids who are clearly starving to death. Israel’s got to do more to let that aid in”.

However, they differ on Israel’s military actions and on what pressure it should face.

Vance went on to say “we’ve also got to wage war on Hamas so that those folks stop preventing food from coming into this territory”. The UK has called for Israel to agree to a ceasefire.

And the US does not support the UK’s view that if Israel does not stop its Gaza operation then it is time to recognise a Palestinian state. The White House has said that would be to reward Hamas.

Image source, Reuters

How Gaza City has changed since the start of the warpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 8 August

13:48 BST 8 August

By Paul Brown

Much of Gaza City is covered by evacuation notices, but it has not yet been designated a "dangerous combat zone" by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) - unlike most other parts of the Strip.

That looks set to change as new plans approved by Israel's security cabinet come into effect.

Satellite imagery shows how dramatically the city’s landscape has changed over the course of the war, having been subjected to numerous air strikes and mass migration both in and out.

Image source, Planet Labs PBC

Many residents fled Gaza City in October 2023 after the IDF ordered evacuations to the south. A ceasefire in January 2025 prompted a mass return, but much of the city was uninhabitable, forcing many to live in temporary shelters like tents.

This displaced community grew again after the ceasefire collapsed in March, when people from the north of the city - where neighbourhoods had been largely flattened - sought refuge.

Now those same communities, as well as those living in intact buildings, will be forced to flee once again as Israel's latest evacuation plans come into effect.

We're hearing from locals in Gaza via our colleagues in BBC Arabic, who have been working with freelancers on the ground.

One woman says Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City will be "a death sentence to every Palestinian".

"I think the whole population in Gaza will be killed, either by bombardment or by hunger," she says.

A man says people "no longer have the ability to leave from one place to another".

"People here got exhausted because they have to displace every now and then, we can hardly provide food for our children," he says.

Another local says civilians "have nothing to do with Hamas".

As a reminder, the Israeli government does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report freely.

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, reporting from Istanbul

Hamas has denounced an Israeli security cabinet decision to take control of Gaza City and forcibly evacuate its residents, calling it “a full-fledged war crime” against nearly one million Palestinians.

In a statement, the group accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of pursuing “ethnic cleansing” and ignoring the fate of Israeli hostages by expanding the war.

It said the move explained Israel’s withdrawal from the latest round of ceasefire talks, which Hamas said was close to reaching an agreement on a truce and hostages exchange.

Hamas said it had shown “flexibility and positivity” in discussions with Qatari and Egyptian mediators and remained open to a comprehensive deal to release all Israeli captives in exchange for ending the war and withdrawing Israeli forces.

The group warned that Israel’s plan “will not be a walk in the park” and would face fierce resistance.

It also held the United States “fully responsible” for providing political and military support to Israel, and urged the UN and international courts to act to halt the plan.

• As a reminder, Hamas captured 251 hostages during its 7 October 2023 attack against Israel - and in recent ceasefire talks, Israel has said Hamas is not interested in negotiating