Israel called up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for an assault on Gaza City while considering a ceasefire proposal. A military official said most reservists will not report for duty until September, allowing mediators time to negotiate between Hamas and Israel. The plan envisions five divisions operating in the Gaza Strip, with most reservists unlikely to serve in Gaza City. The military described the next stage as a gradual, precise and targeted operation focused on Gaza City, identified as Hamas' main military and governing stronghold. The security cabinet approved an expanded campaign aimed at seizing Gaza City. Pressure from far-right coalition members pushes against a temporary ceasefire and toward continued war and annexation, and a West Bank settlement project was approved that would undermine prospects for a Palestinian state. The war began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities.
The call-up signals Israel is pressing ahead with its plan to seize Gaza's biggest urban centre despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians. But a military official briefing reporters said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, an interval that gives mediators some time to bridge gaps between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel over truce terms.
Many of Israel's closest allies have urged the government to reconsider but Netanyahu is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire, continue the war and pursue the annexation of the territory. One far-right member, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, announced final approval on Wednesday of a widely condemned Israeli plan for a settlement project in the occupied West Bank that he said would erase any prospect of a Palestinian state.
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