IDF prepares for “decisive victory” as humanitarian crisis deepens
Thousands of Israeli reservists have reported for duty as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensify their ground offensive on Gaza City, the largest urban stronghold of Hamas.
Ground troops are already pushing into the city’s outskirts, while heavy Israeli aerial and artillery strikes continue. Local hospitals reported more than 50 Palestinian deaths overnight, and UN officials have warned that a full-scale assault could be “beyond catastrophic” for both Gaza City and the wider territory.
A Call to Arms
Last month, the IDF announced the mobilization of 60,000 reservists under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, extending service for 20,000 already in uniform. On Tuesday, military officials confirmed that thousands had begun reporting for duty.
Israeli media noted that while many reservists are being deployed to the occupied West Bank and northern Israel to free up active-duty forces, some combat units are facing reduced turnout as reservists seek exemptions after repeated tours in the 22-month war.
At Nachshonim base in central Israel, IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir told assembled troops that the military was preparing for “decisive victory,” vowing: “We will not stop the war until we defeat this enemy.”
Political Tensions Over Hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his goal of conquering all of Gaza after ceasefire talks with Hamas collapsed in July. His government maintains that the objectives are clear: defeating Hamas and securing the release of all hostages.
Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, with only 20 thought to be alive. Families of captives fear the new offensive will endanger their loved ones, demanding negotiations for their release. At a recent funeral for a recovered hostage’s remains, one daughter urged: “Stop the war and bring all the hostages home in a deal—the living and the dead alike.”
Lt Gen Zamir has reportedly pressed Netanyahu to accept a mediated proposal for a 60-day truce that could free about half the hostages. Cabinet discussions have been marked by heated exchanges, with the general warning that the Gaza City assault risks both the hostages’ lives and the need for a long-term military government in the enclave.
Humanitarian Disaster Unfolding
Hospitals in Gaza report escalating civilian casualties. On Tuesday alone, at least 95 Palestinians were killed, including 35 at Al-Shifa Hospital and 31 brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Doctors there described conditions as catastrophic, with equipment failures and overwhelming numbers of children and elderly among the wounded.
The UN has condemned forced evacuations as a potential war crime, warning that nearly a million residents remain trapped. Aid agencies have confirmed famine conditions in Gaza City, projecting that food scarcity will spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, 13 people—including three children—died of malnutrition in the past 24 hours alone, bringing the reported toll to 361 since the war began. Israel disputes these figures, insisting that aid deliveries face no restrictions.
Since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, Gaza’s health ministry says at least 63,633 people have been killed.