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NDTV
12 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Israel Preparing 1.3 Lakh Soldiers For Planned Attack On Gaza
Israel will call up about 60,000 reservists to join the army in a planned attack on Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and security officials said. Defence Minister Israel Katz approved the military's plans on Tuesday. The military's plan will happen in stages over the next few months, The Times of Israel reported. Around 40,000-50,000 people are expected to report for duty on September 2. Subsequent waves are planned for November-December and February-March 2026. About 20,000 people already on duty will have their service extended by 30-40 days, bringing total troop numbers during the offensive to roughly 1.3 lakh. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier this month, said that his country intended to take full military control of the Gaza Strip to dismantle Hamas. Speaking in a Fox News interview, he said the aim was to secure Israel, remove Hamas, and eventually transfer governance to civilian Arab authorities. The offensive, named "Gideon's Chariots B," follows an earlier operation that secured 75% of the Gaza Strip. Preparations are already underway, with the Nahal Infantry Brigade and 7th Armoured Brigade operating in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, and the Givati Infantry Brigade active in Kafr Jabalia. The operation's forces will include five IDF divisions, 12 brigade-level teams with infantry, armoured, artillery, and combat engineering units, and the northern and southern brigades of the Gaza Division, totalling 14 brigades. Some reservists will replace standing army units on other fronts rather than participate directly in the Gaza operation. The operation will begin with civilian evacuation warnings. Palestinians have been given until October 7 to leave Gaza. The offensive plans were approved despite Hamas saying on Monday that it had agreed to a truce proposal. Hamas currently holds 50 hostages. Israeli authorities report that 28 are confirmed dead, 20 are alive, and there are serious concerns for two others. Since October 7, 2023, Israel's ongoing war in Gaza has killed over 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The toll includes 17,881 children and 214 newborns. More than 1 lakh people have been injured, and the entire population has been displaced. Israel has also blocked the international community and relief organisations from sending aid to Gaza, resulting in starvation and death of at least 266 people, including 122 children.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Gideon's chariots B': Israeli defense minister approves Gaza city siege plan; calls up 60,000 reservists for operation
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has approved the military's plan to capture Gaza City and authorised the call-up of about 60,000 reservists to support the operation, the Defence Ministry told AFP on Wednesday. Katz's office said the minister met with IDF chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, senior commanders, and Shin Bet officials before authorising the operation. The Israeli military declined to share details on troop movements, saying only that it was 'operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' while taking 'feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.' The offensive, codenamed 'Gideon's Chariots B,' follows an earlier campaign under the same name in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of 75% of Gaza's territory in an attempt to pressure Hamas into a hostage deal. The announcement comes as mediators intensify efforts to secure a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war. Hamas has approved a framework calling for a 60-day truce, a staggered release of hostages, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners, and provisions for aid to enter Gaza. However, a senior Israeli official said the government remains firm on its demand that all hostages must be released at once. Qatar said the latest proposal was 'almost identical' to an earlier version agreed by Israel, while Egypt stressed that 'the ball is now in its (Israel's) court.' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly commented on the proposal but last week stated that Israel would only accept 'an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war," reported AFP. Responding to the talks, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said his group had 'opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past.' The war began after Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's response has since killed at least 62,064 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
