Israel will call up about 60,000 reservists for a Gaza City offensive, with most assault forces drawn from active-duty units, the BBC reported. Orders form part of a “gradual” and “precise” plan to capture and occupy the city. Troops already operate in Zeitoun and Jabalia as the build-up continues
Plan, Timeline and Scope
Defence Minister Israel Katz approved the next phase — described in Hebrew media as “Gideon’s Chariots 2” — with the security cabinet set to review it. Call-up notices will roll out in waves, with the first tens of thousands due by early September and further deployments over coming months. Five divisions are expected to take part. Reservists will replace regular units in the West Bank and along the northern border, freeing those troops for Gaza. Israeli media estimate the capture of Gaza City could take several weeks. Katz told Haaretz the operation would change Gaza so it “will not look as it did before.”
Displacement Risks and Aid Warnings
Israel plans to order hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate south before the Gaza City offensive. Authorities have set up extra food distribution points and field hospitals in areas such as al-Mawasi. UN agencies and NGOs warned the intensified push would have a “horrific humanitarian impact” on people already “exhausted, malnourished” and displaced, and said southern hospitals run far beyond capacity. The offensive is expected to displace around one million people and that 70% of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed since October 2023.
Objectives and Stalled Talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the goals include freeing all hostages and the “complete defeat” of Hamas. Regional mediators proposed a 60-day truce tied to a hostage release; Hamas said it accepted, but Israel has not issued a formal response and insists on a comprehensive deal that frees everyone. Separately, that Hamas agreed to Israel’s prior demands for a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
Toll of the war
At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Gaza’s Civil Defence described parts of Gaza City as “very dangerous and unbearable”. As the Gaza City offensive nears, aid groups warn of severe humanitarian consequences.
