Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved and defended a plan for the full occupation of Gaza, despite calls from the UN and the international community to halt the escalation, as well as mass protests inside Israel against the war. The new phase of the campaign entails mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists and advancing into densely populated districts of the enclave where Hamas forces remain.
Israel is preparing to expand its military campaign in Gaza. On Wednesday, a military spokesperson said that senior command had approved plans to summon tens of thousands of reservists to launch a new stage of the operation in the enclave’s most densely populated areas.
According to him, troops will operate in parts of Gaza City where the army has not yet conducted operations and where Hamas units are still active. Israeli forces are already positioned in the Zeitoun and Jabalia districts, laying the groundwork for an offensive expected to be formally approved in the coming days.
It remains unclear when exactly the operation will begin. However, within the next month the plan is to mobilize 50,000 reservists, nearly doubling their total number to 120,000.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the goal of the operation is to secure the release of the remaining hostages and ensure that Hamas and other groups can no longer threaten Israel. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most were later freed during ceasefires and exchanges. Hamas insists it will release the rest only in exchange for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
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The planned offensive in Gaza City and the central refugee camps is drawing growing international condemnation and fears of a new wave of mass displacement among Palestinians. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in the city, which also hosts the enclave’s remaining critical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, mediators and Hamas say they have agreed on terms for a ceasefire, but Israel’s response remains unclear: parts of Netanyahu’s coalition oppose any phased agreement unless it leads to the "final defeat of Hamas."