Israel to call up 60,000 reservists ahead of new military operation in Gaza City

Published on 20/08/2025 - 13:54 GMT+2

Israel is preparing to motorboat an expanded subject cognition successful Gaza City, saying it will telephone up 60,000 reservists arsenic negotiators scramble to onslaught a ceasefire to extremity 22 months of fighting betwixt Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said connected Wednesday that nan Defence Minister Israel Katz has approved plans to statesman a caller shape of operations successful 1 of Gaza's astir densely populated areas, and that it would besides lengthen nan work of an further 20,000 reservists presently portion of its forces.

It comes arsenic quality authorities groups pass that a humanitarian situation could worsen successful nan Strip, wherever astir residents person been displaced, immense neighbourhoods dishonesty successful ruins and communities are facing nan threat of famine.

An Israeli service official, speaking connected nan information of anonymity successful statement pinch subject regulations, said that forces will beryllium stationed successful parts of Gaza City wherever nan IDF has not yet operated and wherever it believes Hamas is still active.

The charismatic said that Israeli troops are already operating successful nan Zeitoun and Jabaliya neighbourhoods of Gaza City to hole nan groundwork for nan expanded operation, which is expected to person support from nan main of unit successful nan coming days.

Gaza City is Hamas' main subject and governing stronghold and Israeli troops will beryllium targeting nan militant group’s immense underground passageway network, nan charismatic added.

Although Israel has targeted and killed overmuch of Hamas' elder leadership, parts of it are actively regrouping and carrying retired attacks, including launching rockets towards Israel, according to nan official.

Operation could statesman wrong days

It remains unclear erstwhile nan cognition will begin, but it is thought it could beryllium successful a matter of days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently said nan main objectives of nan warfare are to unafraid nan merchandise of nan remaining hostages and guarantee Hamas and different militants tin ne'er again frighten Israel.

The planned offensive, first announced earlier this month, has heightened world concerns, fuelling fears of different wide displacement among Palestinians.

Netanyahu said connected 9 August that it would span parts of Gaza City and nan cardinal camps. Hundreds of thousands of displaced group are sheltering successful nan metropolis and it holds immoderate of nan past remnants of captious infrastructure.

Some reservists mobility war's goals

The call-up comes against a backdrop of a increasing campaign of exhausted reservists accusing nan authorities of perpetuating nan warfare for governmental reasons and failing to bring location nan remaining hostages.

The families of nan hostages and former service and intelligence chiefs have besides expressed guidance to nan expanded cognition successful Gaza City.

Most of nan families of nan hostages want an contiguous ceasefire and interest an expanded battle could endanger nan lives of nan 50 hostages still successful Gaza. Israel believes that 20 of them are still alive.

The erstwhile subject and intelligence chiefs are sceptical that nan extremity of wholly destroying Hamas is attainable.

Former Shin Bet caput Yoram Cohen called it a "fantasy," saying that "if anyone imagines that we tin scope each violent and each pit and each weapon, and successful parallel bring our hostages location — I deliberation it is impossible."