Israel has launched a military operation to seize Gaza City, a key northern city in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Despite concerns from the international community and movements to resume ceasefire negotiations, Israel has announced a full offensive by issuing a mobilization order for an additional 60,000 reservists.
Epi Defrin, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, said on the 20th (local time), "We have entered the preparatory operations and initial stages for the attack on Gaza City," adding, "The Israel Defense Forces have already established positions on the outskirts of Gaza City." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has given final approval for this operation plan, named 'Gideon's Chariots II.' The operation name is derived from the biblical judge 'Gideon,' who defeated hundreds of thousands of troops with an army of 300 men. Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces initiated the first phase of the 'Gideon's Chariots' operation after the breakdown of ceasefire negotiations in March and managed to eliminate 2,000 Hamas members while seizing 75% of the Gaza Strip over the past five months. On that day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to "shorten the timeline for seizing and defeating Hamas' last stronghold."
For this operation, the Israel Defense Forces will summon an additional 60,000 reservists and extend the service period for the existing 20,000 personnel. This marks the first large-scale reserve mobilization order issued by the military in several months. Military authorities explained that the operation will proceed in a gradual and precise manner, and they will provide pre-evacuation warnings to minimize civilian casualties.
However, following news that an Israeli offensive is imminent, thousands of residents from Gaza City have already begun to flee. Satellite imagery analysis shows a sharp increase in the number of refugee tent camps in the southern part of Gaza City in recent days. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned, "It is unimaginable to move to smaller areas when over 80% of Gaza residents have already received evacuation orders," adding that this could worsen the catastrophic situation.
This military action by Israel came immediately after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar. This has led to criticism that Israel intends to proceed with war, disregarding the possibility of a ceasefire negotiation resolution. There are also strong opposing voices within Israel. On the 16th, a peace protest involving hundreds of thousands took place in Tel Aviv. Family members of hostages criticized, "Approving military operation plans while a resolution proposal is on the negotiating table undermines the negotiations and plunges a knife into the hearts of our families."
Criticism from the international community has also followed. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that this would lead to "real disaster," while the German government stated, "It is hard to understand how this action will lead to the release of hostages or a ceasefire." Simultaneously, Israel has also granted final approval for a large-scale construction plan for Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Dubbed the 'E1 settlement,' this plan is seen as a measure that effectively makes the construction of an independent state impossible by dividing Palestinian autonomous areas.