Israel ramped up its military presence on Tuesday as reservists responded to call-up orders for an offensive aiming at capturing Gaza City after nearly two years into a devastating conflict. Despite increasing pressure to end its campaign, Israel is focusing on seizing Gaza’s largest city, intensifying bombardments and operations in the outskirts.
The United Nations estimates nearly one million people reside in Gaza City, where it has declared famine in the region, as the Israeli military announced preparations for expanded combat operations and the large-scale mobilization of reservists. Defence Minister Israel Katz stated, “Tens of thousands of reservists have left their homes to answer the national call for the return of hostages and the neutralization of Hamas.”
Katz approved plans for the conquest of Gaza City in late August, authorizing the call-up of about 60,000 reservists, with reports indicating that around 40,000 reservists are mobilizing in the first wave.
Despair Among Civilians
In Gaza City, weary Palestinians expressed feelings of helplessness. Amal Abdel-Aal, a 60-year-old resident living in a tent, shared her despair: “We are exhausted physically and mentally from displacement and from the war. We have come to wish for death.”
The military’s Arabic-language spokesman warned Gazans of the impending “expansion of combat operations towards Gaza City.” He mentioned that enhanced services would be provided in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone, despite ongoing strikes.
Khalil al-Madhoun, a 37-year-old resident of western Gaza City, described the overcrowding in the south. “The center and the south are completely overcrowded,” he said. Most of Gaza’s population of over two million has faced displacement at least once during the conflict.
The military recently declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone,” with evacuations deemed “inevitable.” The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that any evacuation attempt would be unsafe and undignified.
Casualties Mount Amid Conflict
On Tuesday, Israeli forces reportedly killed at least 56 people, including 10 in an airstrike on a residential building in southwest Gaza City. Eyewitness Sanaa al-Dreimli recounted the chaos: “We woke up to the sound of bombing and destruction and found most of our neighbors murdered and injured.”
As pressure mounts on Israel to halt its offensive, the conflict has resulted in significant casualties as the October 2023 attack by Hamas led to the deaths of 1,219 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Of the 251 hostages taken, 47 remain in Gaza, with 25 confirmed dead.
Belgium recently joined other Western nations in recognizing the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly, following similar announcements from Australia, Canada, and France. Meanwhile, Israel’s retaliatory actions have reportedly killed at least 63,633 Palestinians, primarily civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry.
