Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the date for Israel’s planned Gaza offensive in Rafah has been set.

Israel has for weeks hinted at an offensive in the city, which is home to 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom have fled other parts of the Palestinian territory.

The move was condemned by many world leaders, including US President Joe Biden.

Netanyahu said in a video statement on Monday that the attack “has a date” and “will happen.”

The move comes after Israeli troops withdrew on Sunday from Khan Younis, another southern Gaza city, ending a critical phase of the war as Palestinians began returning to the ruins.

Hamas and Israel are negotiating a hostage prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Netanyahu said he had “received detailed reports on the talks,” adding that Israel was “continuously working to achieve its goals,” the most important of which was “the release of all Israeli hostages and a complete victory over Hamas.”

“Victory requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist camps there,” he added.

Netanyahu did not explain when he would launch the offensive.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden warned the Israeli leader in his first call last month that an attack on Rafah “would be a mistake.”

He is also said to have told Mr Netanyahu that he believed Israel could achieve its goals “through other means” and that he did not want Israel to enter Rafah without a plan to protect civilians.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant also said on Monday that now was the best time to reach an agreement on the hostage issue, six months into the war with Hamas.

A senior Hamas official said the Israeli proposal did not meet its demands but would still be reviewed.

“The profession’s position has not changed,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. [Israel] Therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks.

“There is no progress yet.”

The Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza said the Palestinian war death toll has exceeded 33,200 people and nearly 76,000 people were injured.

The ministry did not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally, but said two-thirds of the dead were women and children.

Additional reporting by Reuters and AP