Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Security Council have approved a phased expansion of the military offensive against the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by the public television “Kan“, citing informed sources, reports News.bg.
The Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, confirmed on Sunday that the army is starting a mass distribution of call-ups for reservists. In an address to soldiers, he said the goal was to "increase pressure to return the hostages and achieve the complete defeat of Hamas."
The decision came shortly after a missile fired by the Yemeni Houthi group landed near Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's main air gateway. On the same day, Netanyahu convened a Security Council meeting to discuss the "next stage" of the military operation.
Israel resumed ground operations in Gaza in March after a two-week ceasefire brokered by the United States failed.
According to the Ynet website, the Security Council has also approved a new plan for distributing humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, it is unclear when and how the delivery will be implemented, after Israel imposed a near-total blockade in March. Israel has accused Hamas of misusing the aid, accusations the group denies.
Israel's offensive began after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and abducted 251, the deadliest day in the country's history. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 52,000 Palestinians have died since then. The destruction in the enclave is massive, and more than 2.3 million people rely on increasingly limited humanitarian aid.