Israel plans to expand Gaza offensive, call up tens of thousands of reservists – Bloomberg
Israel is preparing to expand its military operation in Gaza, possibly within days, and will soon begin calling up tens of thousands of reservists, Bloomberg reported , citing a person familiar with Israel's military plans.
According to the agency's interlocutor, the decision to expand the ground offensive was made after a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet on security issues on Friday, May 2.
The intensified campaign will come amid pressure on Netanyahu at home and abroad to break the deadlock in the war with Hamas, which has been going on for more than 18 months.
Israeli forces have occupied about a third of Gaza since a two-month ceasefire ended in mid-March, and Israel has blocked humanitarian aid to a population of more than 2 million people.
Hamas continues to control the coastal strip in general and still holds hostages and the bodies of those who died in captivity. It is believed that the hostages include 24 living people and 35 bodies of the dead.
- On January 15, 2025, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
- The first phase of the deal saw the return of 25 live hostages and the remains of eight in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, the second phase of the hostage deal was thwarted .
- On the night of March 18, Israel launched airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip amid the refusal of the Hamas terrorist group to release Israeli hostages .
- Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on April 2 that Israel was expanding operations in the Gaza Strip to increase the buffer zone.