The Israeli military reportedly announced Wednesday that it will call up some 60,000 reservists as the country prepares to expand its operations into Gaza City, the stronghold of Hamas and a dense urban center where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be sheltering.
The mobilization underscores Israel’s determination to press forward militarily even as many Israelis demand a deal to free hostages. Israel’s largely citizen-soldier army has borne the strain of nearly two years of high-intensity combat.
To sustain the effort, the military also said it will extend active duty for about 20,000 reservists already serving.
“This is the most contested round of fighting,” said Idit Shafran Gittleman of Tel Aviv’s Institute for National Security Studies. “The length of the high-intensity fighting is unprecedented.”
The call-up comes after Israel’s security cabinet approved plans for the takeover of Gaza City and the evacuation of its population to the south. Military officials expect final cabinet endorsement in the coming days, with operations likely to intensify in September. Israeli troops have already begun operating in surrounding areas such as Jabalia and Zaytoun.
The decision follows the collapse of cease-fire negotiations in July. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that only sustained military pressure will compel Hamas to disarm and release hostages.
Up to 20 hostages are thought to remain alive in Hamas custody, while the group is believed to hold another 30 bodies.
“The operation in Gaza City wouldn’t proceed if a deal is reached,” an Israeli official said.
Hamas this week claimed to accept a 60-day cease-fire proposal resembling one previously discussed in July, involving the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for 10 hostages and the remains of others. Israel is still considering the offer.
The government faces mounting pressure from within Israel, where polls show roughly 80 percent of the public favors ending the war to bring hostages home.
Protests and strikes across the country on Sunday drew hundreds of thousands, reflecting deep frustration at the slow progress toward an agreement. Families of hostages, some believed to be held inside Gaza City itself, fear that an invasion could endanger their loved ones.
Israel is simultaneously preparing for the humanitarian challenges that will accompany the Gaza City campaign. COGAT, the military unit overseeing humanitarian coordination, said it had already begun transferring tents and shelter equipment to southern Gaza.
Yet analysts warn the effort will be fraught. “The population may not cooperate because they don’t have anywhere to go,” said retired general Israel Ziv. “It’s going to be messy.”
Israel also faces mounting international criticism over the humanitarian toll. Palestinian health officials claim more than 62,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, though they do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Swaths of the enclave have been reduced to rubble, with civilians squeezed into shrinking areas of refuge.
Even as the war rages, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Wednesday that his plan to build thousands of housing units in the West Bank’s E1 area had won final approval after years of delay.
Smotrich, sanctioned abroad for inflammatory remarks, hailed the decision as a step toward “erasing a Palestinian state.” His move comes as several Western nations signal new recognition of Palestinian statehood.
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