Israel called on Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, to "stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it's on the side of civilization or if it's on the side of Hamas", the Israeli Prime Minister's office said on Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday it will mobilize thousands of reservists in the coming days, in what appears to be an expansion of its offensive in Gaza.

Israel is preparing to escalate its military campaign in Gaza, with local media reporting on May 3 that tens of thousands of reservists are being called up. This mobilisation coincides with rising tensions both domestically and internationally,