Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday approved a plan for the IDF to take control of Gaza City, naming the operation "Gideon's Chariots II," The Jerusalem Post reports. As AP notes, the Israeli army is set to call up 50,000 reservists as part of planning for a new phase of the war in Gaza, writes UNN.
Details
Plan, as indicated by The Jerusalem Post, was presented to Katz by IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and the senior command of the Israeli military.
This is also confirmed by AP, citing an Israeli military official who stated on Wednesday that "the country's top generals have approved plans to begin a new phase of operations in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas." The official said that "the military will operate in parts of Gaza City where Israeli forces have not yet operated and where Hamas is still active." He added that after receiving approval from the military leadership, the plan will now move to the final approval stage.
The operation is believed to be a continuation of the first "Gideon's Chariots" operation.
As The Jerusalem Post previously reported on Tuesday, to meet the necessary readiness levels, the IDF decided to send out approximately 50,000 call-up orders to reservists, in addition to those already serving.
AP indicates that it remains unclear when the operation will begin. The official also confirmed to the publication that 50,000 reservists will be called up next month, almost doubling the number of active reservists to 120,000."
The Jerusalem Post also notes that preparations for the evacuation of civilians from Gaza City to the southern Gaza Strip were approved "with the aim of isolating Hamas terrorists."
"Operational planning is proceeding as usual. We intend to implement the cabinet's decision to take control of Gaza City, unless a framework agreement is presented that includes the release of all hostages and an end to the war on terms defined by the prime minister," a senior official told the publication on Tuesday.
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