Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is attending Washington talks chaired by Donald Trump on plans for post-war Gaza.
The meeting, which will involve talks on expanding funding to the Palestinian territories, is also being attended by Trump's son-in-law and former senior adviser, Jared Kushner, according to the Axios website.
According to Steve Witkoff, the US is creating a "very comprehensive" strategy "the next day" following the conflict.
The Israeli military told Palestinians that the evacuation of Gaza City was "inevitable" as its soldiers got ready to take it over, which prompted the meeting.
Overnight, Israeli tanks advanced into a new part of the city, demolishing homes and driving more people away, according to witnesses.
Recent Israeli advances have already caused thousands of civilians to relocate, primarily to other areas of the city where approximately one million Palestinians still reside.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Steve Witkoff said he believed the war in Gaza could be ended in the next four months.
"We're going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year,"
he stated.
Asked about a plan for governing post-war Gaza, he said:
"It's a very comprehensive plan we're putting together on the next day that I think many people are going to... see how robust it is and how it's how well meaning it is, and it reflects President Trump's humanitarian motives here."
The White House did not confirm Witkoff's comments, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Washington on Wednesday.
The White House said:
"President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region."
The post-war Gaza options that are being discussed have not been made public. Trump did, however, propose in February that the US take over Gaza and turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East" while relocating Gazans permanently to neighboring nations.
According to witnesses who spoke to the Reuters news agency, tanks broke into the northern Ibad al-Rahman sector of Gaza City on Tuesday night, demolishing a number of homes.
"All of a sudden, we heard that the tanks pushed into Ibad al-Rahman, the sounds of explosions became louder and louder, and we saw people escaping towards our area,"
Saad Abed said in a message from his home in Jala Street, about 1km (0.6 miles) away.
The tanks reportedly withdrew to Jabalia, where they have been operating farther north, on Wednesday.
Additionally, the Shejaiya, Zeitoun, and Sabra areas of Gaza City were also under bombardment.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Israeli military claimed that its forces had destroyed a "terrorist cell" and found a weapons storage facility during fighting in the Jabalia neighborhood and on the outskirts of Gaza City.
Avichay Adraee, the military's Arabic spokesperson, stated that "evacuating Gaza City is inevitable" and advised citizens to move to southern Gaza in a post on X on Wednesday.
He said that any family relocating would "receive the most generous humanitarian aid" and that there was "empty space."
The most recent offer from regional mediators for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of about half of the captives has not been accepted by Israel.
Following the Hamas-led onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostage-takings, the Israeli military initiated a battle in Gaza.
Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported about 62,900 deaths.
Additionally, the majority of Gaza's population has been displaced on multiple occasions; over 90% of homes are thought to have been damaged or destroyed; the water, sanitation, and hygiene systems have failed; and famine in the Gaza City area has been confirmed by UN-backed international food security experts.
What specific post-war governance model for Gaza did Blair and Kushner propose?
Creating a temporary Multi-National Authority (called an MNA) led by Arab states (with European, and possibly UN, involvement) created by an international contact group made up of the US and G7 states.
The MNA would assume temporary administrative control of Gaza. It would provide security and remove Hamas' control of civil governance. It would initiate reconstruction and improve living conditions.
The transitional mission would include a multinational security force that includes Western and Arab military personnel, which would support P.A. security forces who will be vetted to a condition of Trained, and an incremental assumption of responsibilities. The P.A. would undergo significant institutional273275 reforms, to re-establish itself in authority (and govern effectively), re-organizing its political leadership which would include a president's new executive.