According to the reports on Tuesday (02 September), Israel has begun mobilising 40,000 reservists in preparation for a planned offensive to capture Gaza city, nearly two years into the war with Hamas. The mobilisation follows approval by Defence Minister Israel Katz, who authorised the call-up of about 60,000 reservists in late August. Thousands have already started reporting for duty, with a second wave expected in November, according to Israeli media.
The Israeli military confirmed it has been carrying out logistical and operational preparations for expanded combat operations. Recent days have seen intensified bombardments and incursions into the outskirts of Gaza city, with strikes in neighborhoods such as Al Zeitoun and Shujaiya. Both areas, once bustling with schools, markets, and clinics, have been reduced to rubble and labelled by the army as “dangerous combat zones.”
The war, which has stretched on for 23 months, has devastated Gaza and caused catastrophic loss of life. According to Palestinian health authorities, at least 63,633 people have been killed and 160,914 injured since the fighting began. The United Nations estimates that nearly a million people live in and around Gaza city, where famine has already been declared amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
Meanwhile, international pressure on Israel continues to mount. Egypt has criticised Israel for failing to respond to a ceasefire proposal, while foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council have called for an immediate halt to hostilities. Belgium announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly, underscoring growing international frustration with the ongoing war and the escalating toll on civilians.
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Israel mobilises 40000 reservists as Gaza city faces deadly offensive
