The September call-up marks a major escalation in the 23-month war, with Israeli forces striking key Gaza neighborhoods amid mounting casualties and worsening famine.
Israel began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists on Tuesday as part of its plan to widen its offensive in Gaza City — a move that has drawn opposition at home and condemnation abroad.
The gradual September call-up, announced last month, will include 60,000 reservists and extend the service of an additional 20,000 already on active duty, according to the Israeli military. This mobilization comes as Israeli ground and air forces intensify operations in northern and central Gaza, targeting the neighborhoods of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah. Both areas, once bustling with markets, schools, and clinics, have been reduced to rubble after repeated incursions and are now described by the military as “dangerous combat zones.”
Gaza City, considered Hamas’ political and military stronghold, remains a central battleground. Israel maintains that a vast tunnel network still runs beneath the city, despite multiple operations over the course of the 23-month war. For civilians, however, the situation is dire. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in the northern strip, facing both the threat of combat and the growing specter of famine.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s leading authority on food crises, declared last month that Gaza City was experiencing famine. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 185 people died of malnutrition in August alone — the highest toll in months. Overall, the ministry reports that 63,557 Palestinians have been killed and 160,660 wounded since the conflict began. Roughly half of the dead are women and children, though the ministry does not separate civilian from combatant casualties.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Today, 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israel believing around 20 are still alive.
As Israel presses deeper into Gaza City with its largest mobilization yet, the offensive signals a new and more dangerous chapter in a conflict that shows no signs of ending.