From 21 Aug 2025Israel keeps up military pressure on Gaza City ahead of planned offensivePeter BeaumontHas Israel begun its offensive to conquer Gaza City or is it hype? Following several weeks of threats of a new large-scale offensive, strongly opposed by the majority of the international community, Israeli officials have daily made announcements saying the plan to conquer Gaza City has been “approved”. It has been approved by the IDF, by the security cabinet, by defence minister Israel Katz. Later today, in an event with the Israeli military, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will proffer his “approval”. How many times, one is tempted to ask, does one plan need approving?As so often in dealing with Israeli officials, and Netanyahu in particular, filtering out what is true, what is lies, and what is calculated misdirection is a complicated business.While Reuters reported a junior defence spokesman as suggesting that the operation to take Gaza City had begun, quotes from that briefing paint a more complex picture, including a reference to the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, the Israeli military offensive that began several months ago.Palestinians rush to escape the area after Israeli warplanes’ bomb strike on the tents where displaced Palestinians live in Deir al Balah, Gaza on August 21, 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty ImagesIn reality, however, recent military activity in Gaza was depicted as being “preliminary” to any new offensive. For his part, Netanyahu’s office put out an opaque statement saying he had asked for planning timelines for the conquest of Gaza City to be accelerated.Given the profound divisions within Israeli society, with some 400,000 demonstrating recently in favour of a ceasefire deal and release of the remaining 20 living hostages in Gaza, and continued contacts between mediators and both Israel and Hamas, unpacking the politics of what Netanyahu is up to is complex.On the one hand, far right members of his coalition have threatened (once again) to walk away in the event of a ceasefire, demanding the conquest of all of Gaza and Jewish settlement of the coastal strip. On the other is the fact that ceasefire talks are continuing.A Palestinian man holds a child and rushes to escape the area after Israeli warplanes’ bomb strike on the tents where displaced Palestinians live in Deir al Balah, Gaza on August 21, 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty ImagesEarlier this week Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire proposal that would see the release of some 10 living hostages in the first phase of the a 60 day pause, while senior Israeli officials (but not an official “delegation”) have met with mediators even as Netanyahu has dragged his feet over giving Israel’s reply, reportedly delaying a cabinet meeting where it would have been discussed.All of which leaves big questions unanswered . While some Israeli and international analysts have speculated that the current moves on the ground amount to pressure on Hamas to improve any deal that might just be emerging, others – like Ronen Bergman, one of Israel’s most authoritative security analysts – suggest that Netanyahu would like to push on with fighting for years if possible, in order to delay his ongoing legal cases and ensure his continued political survival.What most agree is that any new major campaign is likely to have serious consequences. For Israelis, including senior figures in the defence establishment, one concern is whether living hostages would survive, an issue motivating the mass demonstrations.A view of the destroyed camp, which houses displaced Palestinians, after Israeli army targeted the camp as Palestinians gather to inspect the site in Deir Al Balah, Gaza on August 21, 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty ImagesOthers point out that to all intents and purposes the deal Hamas has agreed to is one Israel signalled its agreement for only weeks ago. Any offensive would be seen by the international community for what it is, the most cynical of moves leading to an even deeper humanitarian catastrophe - if that can even be imagined.Without much military utility, and diplomatically self harming, the suspicion then must be that much of this – for now at least – is deliberately performative, though even veteran Israeli analysts are puzzled to what end. To buy time for Netanyahu to flip flop again about what he sees as the objectives of the war? In the hope that Egyptian pressure on Hamas will provide a deal that can be sold? Or perhaps Netanyahu, like a modern day Macbeth, can no longer see a way forward or a way back, “in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more returning were as tedious as go o’er.”Key events21 Aug 2025Closing summary21 Aug 2025British foreign office summons Israeli ambassador over West Bank settlement plan21 Aug 2025Relatives of Israelis held in Gaza say failure to agree ceasefire deal is a 'death sentence' for hostages21 Aug 2025Israel keeps up military pressure on Gaza City ahead of planned offensive21 Aug 2025Israel attacks Gaza City overnight, say residents, as defence ministry approves expanded offensive21 Aug 2025Israel to call up 60,000 reservists as it launches ‘first stages’ of attack on Gaza CityShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureClosing summaryThat’s all from the Middle East crisis live blog for today. Thanks for following along.Here is a round-up of the day’s headlines: