JERUSALEM, Aug 7: Israel's security cabinet was set to meet on Thursday to discuss military plans in Gaza, as the families of hostages launched a desperate plea for help aboard a flotilla headed for the Palestinian territory.
The meeting comes as international outrage over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has ratcheted up pressure on Israel, with UN agencies warning of famine in the devastated territory.
An Israeli government official told AFP that the meeting would start at around 1500 GMT.
Israeli media say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to seek approval to expand military operations, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held.
This comes despite growing concern among Israelis about the fate of the remaining hostages, some of whose families set sail from the port of Ashkelon on Thursday seeking to approach the Gaza Strip.
Organisers said they hoped to "get as close as possible to their loved ones".
Speaking in English through a megaphone, Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is among those held captive, shouted: "Mayday, mayday, mayday. We need all international assistance to rescue the 50 hostages who are nearly two years held by the hand of Hamas."
Ahead of Thursday's meeting, rumours have been rife in the Israeli press about disagreements between the cabinet and Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who is said to oppose plans to fully reoccupy Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli security cabinet is set to meet Thursday evening to discuss a possible expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza, a move that - if happens - would come despite fierce opposition from many in Israel, including the families of hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.
The meeting comes on a day when at least 29 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes and shootings across southern Gaza, according to local hospitals.
Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said 12 of the fatalities were from people attempting to access aid near a distribution site run by a U.S. and Israeli-backed private contractor.
At least 50 people were wounded, many from gunshots, the hospital said. Neither the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation nor the Israeli military, which helps secure the group's sites, immediately commented on the strikes or shootings. The Israeli military has accused Hamas of operating in densely populated civilian areas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting this week with top advisers and security officials to discuss what his office said are ways to "further achieve Israel's goals in Gaza" after the breakdown of ceasefire talks last month. "AFP, AP
