Israel launches military operation in Gaza - Accelerating plans against Hamas, despite international criticism
The Israeli military announced that it has launched the first stages of an operation to take control of Gaza City, calling up tens of thousands of reservists for service. "We have launched preliminary operations and the first stages of the assault on Gaza City. Military forces are already on the outskirts of the city," an army spokesman told reporters.
A military official said earlier that reservists would not be called up for service before September, leaving room for negotiators to bring Hamas and Israel closer together on the terms of a ceasefire.
But after clashes between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that he had accelerated a plan to take control of Hamas strongholds and defeat the militant group that launched the conflict with an attack on Israel in October 2023.
Statements by Israeli officials signal that the operation to take Gaza's largest city is moving forward, despite international criticism of an attack that is expected to cause massive displacement of Palestinian civilians.
"We will deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City, a governmental and military stronghold of the terrorist organization," the army spokesman added.
Hamas, in a statement on Telegram, accused Israel of blocking the peace deal and continuing a “brutal war on innocent civilians in Gaza.” “Netanyahu’s disregard for the mediators’ proposal shows that he is the main obstacle to any agreement,” the statement said.
Israel's Security Council earlier this month approved a plan to expand its military campaign to take control of Gaza City, where the Israeli army fought fierce battles in the early stages of the war. Israel currently controls about 75% of the territory in the Gaza Strip.
Many of Israel's closest allies have urged the government to back down from plans for further attack, but Netanyahu faces pressure from far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire and annex the territory.
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