DaysofPal – Israel’s government is expected to approve plans to call up tens of thousands of additional reservists as it prepares for a full-scale offensive to seize Gaza City, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
If approved, the total number of mobilized reservists could reach 430,000 by the end of November, according to public broadcaster Kan. Channel 13 said the move is part of a broader plan already given initial approval by the Israeli security cabinet on Friday, aimed at taking complete control of the Gaza Strip.
The plan reportedly begins with the displacement of nearly one million Gaza City residents to the south, followed by an encirclement of the city and incursions into residential neighborhoods.
A second phase would target the refugee camps in central Gaza, large parts of which have already been reduced to rubble. Channel 13 said the army intends to employ heavy firepower while simultaneously transferring segments of the population southward.
Despite government backing, the proposal faces stiff opposition from senior Israeli military officials. The Hebrew broadcaster reported that unnamed top commanders sharply criticized the plan, warning that “the war has turned into a vehicle sinking in the sand.”
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has previously described the plan as a “strategic trap” that would bog down the army for years and place hostages in greater danger.
International concerns over the offensive are mounting. The United Nations says 87 percent of Gaza’s territory is already under occupation or evacuation orders, warning that any further expansion would have “catastrophic consequences.”
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of Italy, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement opposing the plan to seize Gaza City.
“This would exacerbate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of captives, and increase the risk of mass displacement of civilians,” the statement read.
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