Israel has given the green light for a new military push into Gaza City, with Defence Minister Israel Katz approving a plan that calls for the mobilization of around 60,000 reservists. The move signals preparations for a major escalation, even as international mediators continue pressing for a ceasefire.
The approval comes at a delicate moment. Mediators, including Qatar, had voiced cautious optimism after Hamas agreed to a proposal that included a 60-day truce, a phased release of hostages, the exchange of some Palestinian prisoners, and guarantees for humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. But Israeli officials insist that any deal must ensure the release of all hostages, leaving the proposal in limbo.
On the ground in Gaza City, the humanitarian picture is dire. Mustafa Qazzaat, who heads the city’s emergency committee, described the conditions as “catastrophic.” He said thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes, many now stranded on roads and in the streets without shelter.
The Israeli security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had already endorsed the Gaza City operation earlier this month, but Netanyahu has yet to convene the cabinet to formally address the truce proposal. Pressure on him is mounting at home and abroad, with Germany publicly warning that it opposes further escalation.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army says the next stage of fighting will be a “gradual, precise, and targeted operation” in and around Gaza City, including areas where forces have not previously entered. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 25 people across the territory on Wednesday alone.
Since the start of the war, which has now dragged on for nearly two years, Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 62,000 Palestinians — most of them civilians — have been killed.
No comments:
Post a Comment