France on Wednesday expressed dismay at a U.S. decision to impose sanctions on four more International Criminal Court judges or prosecutors, including one from France, over actions against Israeli leaders and US citizens.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the sanctions, including against French judge Nicolas Guillou, were "in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary".

Palestinian militant group Hamas said Wednesday that Israeli military plans to conquer Gaza City showed its "blatant disregard" for efforts to broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the nearly two-year conflict.

"Today's announcement by the terrorist occupation army of the start of an operation against Gaza City and its nearly one million residents and displaced persons... demonstrates... a blatant disregard for the efforts made by the mediators," it said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump called Wednesday for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to step down, expanding pressure on the central bank after recent criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates sooner.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone that Turkey would support a process involving "all parties" for peace in Ukraine, the Turkish presidency said.

Polish authorities said Wednesday that an object which exploded in the night in the east of the country may have been a military drone of unknown provenance.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Wednesday that discussing any Western security guarantees for Ukraine without Russian involvement was a "road to nowhere".

"The West understands perfectly well that seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere," Lavrov told reporters.

The German government said Wednesday it "rejects the escalation" of Israel's campaign in Gaza after Israel approved a plan to conquer Gaza City and authorized calling up around 60,000 reservists.

Germany finds it "increasingly difficult to understand how these actions will lead to the freeing of all the hostages, or to a ceasefire," government spokesman Steffen Meyer told reporters.

Iran said Wednesday it was prepared for any new Israeli attack, announcing it has developed missiles with greater capabilities than those used during their recent 12-day war.

"The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured... a few years ago," Defense Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

A member of Irish rap band Kneecap was due to appear in court on Wednesday charged with a terror offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah.

Liam O'Hanna, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May after being accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London concert in November.

Israel's defense minister has approved a plan for the conquest of Gaza City and authorized the call-up of around 60,000 reservists to carry it out, his ministry confirmed on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Israel Katz's move, confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson, piled pressure on Hamas as mediators pushing for a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war in Gaza awaited an official Israeli response on their latest proposal.