By Guy Birchall
Contributing Writer
Israel has called up around 60,000 reservists ahead of an expansion of its operation in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday.
In a post on X, the IDF said that the new reserve orders were issued on Wednesday morning, while another 20,000 had their service extended as part of the next phase of Operation “Gideon’s Chariots.”
It is currently unclear when the next phase of the operation — named after the Biblical warrior Gideon, who, according to the Book of Judges, led the Israelites to victory over the Midianite army with just 300 men — will commence.
The move comes almost two weeks after the Jewish state approved plans to take control of Gaza City, while distributing humanitarian aid to civilians outside combat zones, amid international pushback.
Ahead of that decision, Jerusalem’s security cabinet endorsed five principles for ending the war.
These include disarming the Hamas terrorist organization, securing the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, maintaining Israel’s security control over the territory, and establishing an alternative civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
The mobilization announcement comes as Arab mediators continue their moves to try to bring the conflict to an end.
The war in Gaza has raged since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages into Gaza.
The terrorist group still holds 50 hostages, with the Israeli government believing 20 to still be alive.
The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said on Monday via Telegram that more than 62,000 people have been killed since the start of Israel’s offensive in Gaza in October 2023, which was in response to the Hamas attacks. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in these casualty figures, and their accuracy cannot be verified.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the IDF’s Gaza Division and, during the trip, described Hamas as being under “immense pressure.”
Netanyahu also criticized his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, over his decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
In a post on X from the official account of the prime minister of Israel, Netanyahu said that “history will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”
“I don’t take these things personally,” Albanese told a press briefing in response to the comments. “I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar things to say about other leaders.”
Arab mediators and Hamas said this week that the leaders of the terrorist group had agreed to cease-fire terms, though similar announcements have been made in the past that did not lead to a lasting truce.
Egypt and Qatar have said they have been waiting for Israel’s response to the cease-fire proposal, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelattay saying that “the ball is now in Israel’s court” on Tuesday during various phone calls with foreign ministers from the UK, Turkey, and the EU, as well as one with Hussein Al Sheikh, vice president of the Palestinian Authority, according to a statement released by the ministry.
He added that progress had been made in recent cease-fire talks held in Cairo with the Hamas delegation and that this round focused on the proposal from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Qatar also said Hamas had approved a proposal for a cease-fire on Tuesday, saying “it includes a temporary ceasefire for 60 days, during which a number of prisoners and hostages will be exchanged, along with the repositioning of Israeli forces and the intensification of humanitarian aid entry according to the terms of the agreement.”
The official spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, added that Hamas’ response was “very positive” and “largely aligns with what was previously approved by the Israeli side, but the mediation is still awaiting an official response from Israel,” according to a statement on the ministry’s website.
According to Ansari, the cease-fire would be for 60 days, and an unspecified number of prisoners and hostages would be swapped, in addition to the repositioning of Israeli forces and the increase of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
There are no confirmations that Witkoff would go to Cairo or Doha for further negotiations, though communications are ongoing, he added.
