Israelʼs offensive on the Gaza Strip: 60 000 additional Israelis are planned to be drafted into the army — media

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing for a large-scale operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which involves a siege of the enclaveʼs capital. They plan to mobilize approximately 60 000 reservists for this purpose.

This is reported by The Times of Israel, citing representatives of IDF and the countryʼs security services.

Conscription orders will be sent out in several waves starting August 20. In the first wave, they plan to conscript 40 000-50 000 people, who will be required to report for service on September 2.

The next wave will occur in November-December, and the third in February-March 2026.

The total number of Israelis mobilized for the Gaza offensive is expected to reach 130 000. However, not all of them will take part in the operation to capture the city, as some of them will replace existing troops on other fronts.

According to the publication, on August 19, Defense Minister Israel Katz met with the countryʼs military leadership to approve plans to capture Gaza City and destroy Hamas militants.

The plan was called “Gideon’s Chariot B”. As a result of the previous operation “Gideon’s Chariot”, the Israeli army captured more than 75% of the enclave.

What preceded

Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023. In mid-January 2025, Israel and Hamas reached agreements on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

However, on the night of March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip and launched large-scale operations there.

On August 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country intended to take control of the entire coastal territory. The Israeli military subsequently approved a framework plan for a new offensive operation in Gaza.

On the evening of August 17, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to demand that the Israeli government reach an agreement with Hamas to return the hostages. Netanyahu accused the demonstrators of strengthening Hamasʼ negotiating position.

The next day, it became known that Hamas had agreed to the latest offer from regional mediators for a deal with Israel on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

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