Israel needs 100,000 reservists

Tel Aviv, Israel — Israel will need to mobilize up to 100,000 reservists for its expanded military campaign in the Gaza Strip, according to deployment plans reported by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday.

The newspaper cited plans approved by the military’s Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir on Wednesday.

The planned offensive envisages the seizure of Gaza City in the north, as well as the destruction of Hamas in the refugee camps in central Gaza.

Further consultations on the specific course of action will take place in the coming days, and the divisions and brigades involved will be briefed, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

According to the newspaper, the campaign in Gaza City, especially in high-rise neighborhoods in the west of the metropolis, as well as in other northern parts of the Gaza Strip, could continue well into 2026.

Last week, Zamir warned against a complete capture of the Gaza Strip, pointing to personnel shortages and the exhaustion levels of the deployed soldiers.

He also emphasized that an army incursion into Gaza City would endanger the lives of hostages believed to be held there.

However, the Security Cabinet rejected Zamir’s concerns and approved the plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prompting harsh criticism at home and abroad.

An expansion of the Gaza war is expected to exacerbate the catastrophic suffering of the population in the sealed-off strip. Gaza City is the largest population center in the north of the territory, home to some 1 million Palestinians — half of Gaza’s total population.