Report: Israel eyeing major reservist call-up and expansion of Gaza war

Defense official says that after Israel rejected Hamas proposal for five-year ceasefire and with security cabinet pushing for more military pressure, IDF poised for major expansion of ground war in Gaza – along with call-up of reservists.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s defense establishment is gearing up for a major expansion of the ground war in Gaza, a defense official said on Monday, after Israel rejected a Hamas-proposed five-year ceasefire.

According to a report published by Yedioth Aharanoth, the IDF is preparing for a large scale call-up of reservists in anticipation of a widening of the current ground operation in the Gaza Strip. Senior government ministers are urging greater military pressure against Hamas.

The security cabinet voted earlier this week to reject calls to resume the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip at this time, instead backing expanded measures to force Hamas into releasing the remaining 59 hostages held in the coastal enclave.

Of the 59 hostages, Israeli intelligence has obtained evidence that 35 are dead.

On Monday morning, an Israeli official said Israel had rejected Hamas’ offer to release all 59 hostages at one time in exchange for a five-year ceasefire and IDF withdrawal from Gaza.

According to Monday’s report, senior Israeli officials have said that there is currently no realistic alternative to military force as a means for inducing Hamas to return the remaining hostages.

“The reason we didn’t immediately launch intense fighting after the end of the last ceasefire — and instead proceeded gradually — was to allow space for negotiations over the hostages’ release. We still want to exhaust every effort to bring the hostages home, but our patience is not unlimited,” an Israeli official said.

While the plans for an expanded operation have not been finalized, the army is reportedly planning to carry out an emergency mobilization of thousands of reserve troops and deploy several divisions to the Gaza Strip in order to seize and maintain control over large swaths of the Gaza.

Israeli troops currently control roughly half of the territory of the Gaza Strip.