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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has approved the military’s plans for an offensive to take over Gaza City, Israeli media reported.
The plans for the operation were earlier presented to Katz by the Israel Defense Forces’ Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The Times of Israel newspaper cited a security source as saying Katz praised the plans for the offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II.”
Gaza City is in the north of the 26-mile coastal enclave and has been devastated by Israeli military strikes over the past 22 months.
Newsweek reached out to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via email for comment.
Some 60,000 reservist call-up orders are being issued by the IDF for the offensive, the Times of Israel reported.
The defense minister also approved “humanitarian preparations” for the estimated one million Palestinian civilians who are set to be displaced from Gaza City to the Gaza Strip’s south.
Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan to take over Gaza City and eventually implement “Israeli security control” of the entire Gaza Strip, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on August 8.
That announcement drew widespread criticism, including from some Western governments.
The Security Cabinet’s decision capped months of failed ceasefire talks between Netanyahu’s government and Hamas, with both sides accusing each other of repeated violations.
Israel has also faced increased international pressure to reach a ceasefire deal after Hamas released videos showing emaciated Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, which the militant group said was the result of Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to the war-torn territory.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.