Copy in clipboard...
Israel approves plan to occupy Gaza City, calls up 60,000 reservists
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the plan on Wednesday for the conquer of Gaza City and authorized the call-up of around 60,000 reservists.
The call-up signals Israel is pressing ahead with its plan to take control of Gaza's biggest urban hub despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians. But a military official briefing reporters said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, a move that gives mediators some time to bridge gaps between the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Israel over cease-fire terms. Israel’s security cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the plan this month to expand the campaign in Gaza, with the aim of seizing Gaza City, sparking fears it will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Many of Israel’s closest allies have urged it to reconsider but Netanyahu is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary cease-fire, continue the war and pursue the annexation of Gaza. Israel's onslaught on Gaza has claimed the lives of more than 62,000 Palestinians and caused widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, which before the war was home to about 2.3 million Palestinians. Many buildings, including homes, schools and mosques have been destroyed.
Most Gazans have been displaced multiple times and forced into densely packed areas along the Mediterranean coast, including in Gaza City.
Netanyahu has come under growing pressure at home and abroad to end the war, with the German government saying on Wednesday that it "rejects the escalation" of Israel's campaign.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that Israel's "military offensive" to conquer Gaza City "can only lead to a complete disaster for both peoples".
Israel's plan "will drag the region into a permanent war," the French president posted on social media, reiterating his call for an "international stabilization mission".