GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel warned besieged residents of the Gaza Strip on Saturday that it would soon escalate its onslaught against Hamas, including possibly a deeper push into Gaza’s densely packed cities.
Israeli planes scattered fliers over Gaza City and the southern town of Rafah, near the Egyptian border, telling residents to stay away from areas that could be housing weapons and warning not to associate with members of Hamas, the militant Islamic group that Israel has been battling in Gaza for 15 days.
Meanwhile, Hamas officials arrived in Cairo to discuss an Egyptian proposal for a 48-hour cease-fire, but the plan looked to be dead on arrival. Late Saturday, Hamas’ exiled leader, Khaled Meshaal, in a fiery speech from Syria, said he wouldn’t accept a truce until Israel withdraws its troops from Gaza and opens the blockaded territory’s border crossings.
