Israel Calls Up Tens of Thousands of Reservists as Gaza City Assault Looms
Former IDF spokesperson says military preparations may be final pressure tactic on Hamas
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Israel is mobilizing tens of thousands of additional reservists as it prepares for what could be the final major military operation of its nearly two-year war in Gaza, targeting the densely populated Gaza City where more than one million Palestinians currently reside.
The Israeli Defense Forces said the first stage of the planned assault on Gaza City is already underway, with troops moving into the outskirts of the city that Israel describes as a Hamas stronghold. The escalation comes as the conflict approaches its second anniversary following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
"We will deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror of the terrorist organisation," an Israeli military spokesperson said during a briefing. "We will deepen the damage to the terror infrastructure above and below the ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas."
Jonathan Conricus, a former international spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force and current senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies, suggested the military preparations could represent a final negotiating tactic rather than an inevitable assault.
"I think that we are still very much in the realm of negotiations and an attempt, perhaps a final attempt by Israel, to apply pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal and to hand over hostages and to effectively end the war," Conricus told ABC's Afternoon Briefing program.
The military buildup occurs as Israel continues efforts to achieve objectives it set following the Oct. 7 attack: removing Hamas from power, ensuring the organization cannot attack Israel from Gaza again, and securing the return of remaining hostages.
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Fifty hostages remain in Hamas custody, with 20 presumed alive, according to Conricus. The original 251 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack have become a central factor in both military strategy and public pressure on the Israeli government.
"Sadly, Israel has not yet achieved what it sought to achieve after the Hamas-led massacre on October the 7th," Conricus said. "That's very, very regretful."
Many hostage families have publicly opposed the planned military assault on Gaza City, participating in large demonstrations and expressing concerns that the operation would endanger their loved ones still held in the territory.
"Those concerns are incorporated into the calculus of the military," Conricus said, acknowledging family opposition while defending the military approach. He quoted the Israeli spokesperson as saying "the hostages are in front of our eyes every moment of the day and that all our actions will be in order to try to get them out."
The former IDF spokesperson characterized the tactical situation as "almost impossible," suggesting Hamas made an early decision not to release Israeli hostages and has leveraged them for political and psychological warfare advantages.
The prospect of combat operations in Gaza City raises significant concerns about civilian casualties given the area's population density. However, Conricus said casualty levels would depend largely on civilian evacuation before fighting begins.
"The IDF has already said, we are going to notify the civilian population ahead of time with enough time for them to be able to evacuate so that they won't be in the most dangerous areas where there's going to be combat," he said.
When pressed about whether such evacuations constitute forced displacement, Conricus rejected the characterization. "When you fight and when you want civilians out of the battlefield in order for them not to be harmed, that is a very decent thing to do," he said.
The military strategy faces internal criticism from within Israel's defense establishment. The IDF chief of staff has raised documented concerns about the operation, particularly regarding post-conflict governance plans.
"The concerns voiced by the chief of staff are related mostly to the very important strategic day after," Conricus explained. The military leader has demanded political leadership clarify what happens after taking control of Gaza City and eliminating remaining Hamas presence.
Conricus said establishing post-conflict governance requires coordination between Israel, the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. "I think that's very important to have established before Israel launches, if it does, a significant manoeuvre," he said.
The former spokesperson defended the possibility of eliminating Hamas as an organization, comparing it to the defeat of ISIS while acknowledging the difficulty of defeating ideological movements entirely.
"Hamas is not different from ISIS, and they have the same ideology," Conricus said. "ISIS was defeated on the battlefield, but it still exists as a movement, and it still has drawing and calling power."
He rejected suggestions that the prolonged conflict has radicalized a generation of Palestinians, challenging expert assessments while acknowledging the difficulty of defeating extremist ideologies. "Having said that it's difficult doesn't mean that you don't fight and that you don't try and that you don't aspire to defeat an enemy," he said.
The interview also addressed recent tensions between Israel and Australia over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's appearances on Australian television programs. Australian government ministers have criticized Netanyahu's media strategy as inappropriate interference in domestic politics.
Conricus defended Netanyahu's media engagement, citing Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood during the ongoing conflict and concerns about antisemitic incidents in Australia. "I think he believes that Australia has, in fact, entered Israeli issues and has done so in a very erroneous way," Conricus said.
The former IDF spokesperson pointed to protests in Australia featuring "banners of terrorist organizations" and concerns among Australian Jewish citizens as justification for Netanyahu's media appearances.
As Israel continues military preparations, the timing and scope of any Gaza City operation remains uncertain, with diplomatic efforts continuing alongside military mobilization.
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