Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, according to local media on Wednesday.
The public broadcaster KAN said that Katz named the plan Gideon's Chariots B, after the “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” a ground offensive that was launched in May to expand the occupation of the enclave and fully displace Palestinians from northern Gaza.
“As part of the plan, the necessary reserve call-up orders will be issued to carry out the attack,” the broadcaster said, without specifying the number of troops needed.
The plan will later be submitted for approval by the security cabinet.
According to Channel 12, emergency draft orders, known as “Order 8,” have already been issued by the Israeli army, as tens of thousands of reservist soldiers are expected to be summoned in the coming days.
An official speaking on condition of anonymity said that 50,000 reservists will be called up next month, nearly doubling the total number of active reservists to 120,000.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir outlined stages of the occupation plan, including reinforcing Israeli forces in northern Gaza.
Gaza occupation
On August 8, Israel’s Cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to gradually reoccupy Gaza, starting with Gaza City.
The plan envisions the displacement of roughly 1 million Palestinians from Gaza City to the south, followed by encirclement of the city and incursions into residential neighbourhoods.
As part of this, the army launched a major assault on August 11 in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, witnesses told Anadolu.
The assault included the destruction of homes with booby-trapped robots, artillery fire, random gunfire and forced displacement.
Israel’s occupation preparations continue despite indirect ceasefire talks with the Palestinian group Hamas, which has agreed to a 60-day suspension of military operations under the proposal presented by Egypt and Qatar.
Israel has killed nearly 62,100 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military offensive has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
