Members of the UN Security Council offered their sympathy to Israeli hostages after a video showing an emaciated captive was released by Hamas, but called on Israel to end its self-created humanitarian catastrophe and allow more aid to enter the besieged territory.

One former military chief said that Israel is "well over a year past the point where we could have ended the war."

Israel's military chief has pushed back against Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to seize areas of Gaza it doesn't already control, three Israeli officials said, as the prime minister faces increasing pressure over the war both at home and abroad.