A large number of Palestinians continue to flee Gaza City after the Israeli military announced it has entered the initial phases of a planned ground offensive, city officials report.
Israeli troops have established a foothold on the outskirts of the city — home to more than one million Palestinians — following days of heavy bombardment and artillery fire.
The escalation prompted UN Secretary-General António Guterres to renew his call for an immediate ceasefire to prevent “death and destruction” that an “inevitable assault” would bring.
Israel has signaled its determination to move forward with its plan to seize control of the entire Gaza City, despite mounting international criticism. A military spokesperson confirmed that troops are already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to prepare the ground for the offensive, which was approved Tuesday by Defense Minister Israel Katz and will be presented to the security cabinet later this week, according to the BBC.
Around 60,000 reservists are expected to be called up in early September to relieve active-duty forces for deployment in the operation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he is “shortening timelines” to take control of what he described as the “last strongholds of terror” in Gaza.
In response, Hamas accused the Israeli leader of waging a “brutal war against innocent civilians in Gaza City” and criticized him for what it called “disregard” of a new ceasefire proposal put forward by regional mediators. Israel has not yet issued an official reply to the plan.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and relocate to shelters in the south, as preparations intensify for Israel’s full takeover plan.
Several of Israel’s allies have condemned the move. French President Emmanuel Macron warned Wednesday that the operation “can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of perpetual war.”
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that further displacement and escalating hostilities threaten to worsen an already catastrophic situation for Gaza’s population of 2.1 million.
Israel declared its intent to capture the entire Gaza Strip after indirect negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release collapsed last month.
