Israel Calls Up Tens of Thousands of Reservists for Gaza Offensive Expansion
The Israeli military has begun sending call-up notices to tens of thousands of reservists amid speculations it was planning to expand its offensive in Gaza.
The mobilization orders come as talks to achieve a ceasefire and release the remaining hostages in Gaza stall and Israel resumes its bombing campaign in the Strip which faces an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
Call-up Orders
According to Israeli media reports, the military has started issuing tens of thousands of call-up orders for reservists for a potential expansion of operations in Gaza. This will mark the fifth or sixth deployment for many reserve brigades since the war began.
The Israeli news website Ynet News reported that the reserve units will be deployed to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon or the occupied West Bank to replace regular army units who will lead the new offensive in Gaza, expected to start in the coming days.
In April, thousands of Israeli Air Force reservists and retirees, as well as ex-Mossad operatives and former and current armored corps soldiers and paratroopers signed letters criticizing the Israeli government for resuming the war in Gaza for “merely political purposes and putting the lives of soldiers and hostages at risk for personal gains.”
New Offensive Plan
The Israeli cabinet will convene on Sunday to approve the offensive expansion plan, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11. Israel’s military Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, reportedly proposed a plan on Friday to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister, Israel Katz, to increase pressure on Hamas.
The proposed plan involved evacuating Palestinians from northern and central Gaza before expanding operations in those areas. These tactics are similar to those Israel used earlier this year during its operation in the southern city of Rafah.
Concerns over Hostages
News regarding the offensive expansion raised concern among the families of the 59 hostages who remain in Gaza, reported CNN. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters warned on Saturday that “any escalation in the fighting will put the hostages — both the living and the deceased — in immediate danger.” It added that the vast majority of Israeli people prioritizes the return of hostages.
On Thursday, Netanyahu stated that defeating Hamas was more important than releasing the remaining hostages, sparking hostage families’ outrage. Previously, he had given the two things the same priority as Israel’s key goals in its war in Gaza.
The ceasefire agreement, which took effect in January 2025, secured the release of most hostages. However, since the agreement collapsed in March, negotiations to release the remaining hostages stalled as Hamas insists on a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel demands the return of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.
Diplomatic Brawl
On Saturday, Netanyahu’s office accused Qatari mediators of “playing both sides” in the negotiations and decide which side it will take, remarks that could complicate the ongoing mediation efforts.
On its part, Qatar firmly rejected Netanyahu’s “inflammatory” accusation, calling it a distortion of its diplomatic efforts. The Gulf State also accused Israel of using humanitarian aid as a “tool of political coercion” as the Israeli total blockade on Gaza enters its third month.
“A legitimate question must be raised: Were the releases of no fewer than 138 hostages achieved through so called “just” military operations, or through the very mediation that is now being unjustly criticized and undermined?” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, wrote on X.
Dire Conditions in Gaza
Since the breakout of the Gaza war in October 2023, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel has killed at least 2,326 people since it resumed its military operations in the enclave on March 18, 2025, reported The Guardian.
The war in Gaza has devastated the Strip, displaced its people, and caused dire humanitarian conditions, putting Palestinians in Gaza on the brink of famine. Aid agencies warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. On Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is “on the verge of total collapse,” urging immediate action to prevent chaos.
Media reports suggest that Israel and the US are discussing a plan to resume aid delivery to Gaza under a new mechanism. The plan involves an international humanitarian foundation, private companies and compounds for distributing aid. However, humanitarian officials in Gaza raised concerns over the plan as “impractical and unethical.”
“The current scheme just won’t work unless there are a lot more distribution hubs and even then we cannot be a party to something that may drive massive and possibly permanent displacement within Gaza,” a senior humanitarian official told The Guardian.
