As rallies spread to demand action to free captives, the country’s security cabinet was to meet for the first time since Hamas agreed to a new cease-fire proposal, officials said.

Tanks and troops close in as Israel readies a massive Gaza City offensive—seen as the war’s defining battle—raising stakes for hostages and Hamas terrorists.

Sixty-four people were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the past 24 hours, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said.