The Israeli military will expand its ground operation in Gaza to occupy 25% of the enclave over the next two to three weeks, a senior Israeli official said in a briefing with reporters on Monday. Why it matters: The Israeli official said the ground operation is part of a "maximum pressure" campaign aimed at forcing Hamas to agree to release more hostages.

Israeli officials are ordering mass evacuations in southern Gaza as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign despite Hamas’s agreement to a mediated peace proposal. An Israeli official announced to reporters on Monday that the nation’s military will be seeking to occupy the southernmost quarter of the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks.

Hamas ceasefire. They warn renewed bombing in Gaza jeopardizes the lives of the 24 remaining captives, who are believed to be alive.