Israel Mobilizes Tens of Thousands of Reservists to Escalate Gaza Offensive

JERUSALEM: In a significant military escalation, Israel has begun calling up tens of thousands of reservists to reinforce and expand its ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Military Build-Up Aims to Pressure Hamas Amid Ongoing Hostage Crisis

Eyal Zamir, Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, announced the mobilization during a Sunday visit to a naval commando base. He emphasized the goal of intensifying operations to secure the release of Israeli hostages and dismantle Hamas infrastructure.

“This week we are issuing tens of thousands of call-up orders to our reservists,” Zamir stated. “We are increasing pressure in order to bring our hostages home and to defeat Hamas.”

As part of this expansion, Israeli forces plan to operate in additional areas of Gaza and continue targeting militant infrastructure. Reservists will also be deployed to volatile zones along the northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, as well as the occupied West Bank.

Over the weekend, IDF forces launched over 100 strikes across Gaza, targeting what officials described as militant strongholds, underground facilities, and command centers.

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Despite mounting internal pressure for a ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition maintain that the offensive will continue until Hamas is dismantled. The Israeli government reports that 59 hostages remain in Gaza, a key reason for the continued military pressure.

The renewed offensive follows the breakdown of a two-month ceasefire in March. Since the conflict reignited in October 2023, Gaza health authorities report that more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed.