Israeli Army Begins Preliminary Phase to Seize Gaza

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced today, Wednesday, that they have started the preliminary phase of capturing Gaza City, conducting focused military operations in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the south of the city and in the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

The radio clarified that the plan involves, in the coming days, pushing Gaza City’s residents southward in preparation for establishing a new reality on the ground.

In this context, Channel 12 Israeli television reported that the evacuation of Gaza City is imminent, describing it as a crucial step within ongoing military operations that have been underway for months. It indicated that following the evacuation, the army will impose a strict blockade on the city before carrying out a wide-scale invasion.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz approved the plan to take control of Gaza on Tuesday evening during a meeting held at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, attended by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior military and security officials. The decision was based on a resolution by the Security Cabinet concerning security and political affairs.

According to Channel 12, the operation is named “Gadot Car 2,” and aims to carry out a series of field operations within Gaza City according to a pre-planned military strategy.

Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli military has decided to accelerate the call-up of approximately 60,000 reserve soldiers, in addition to extending the service of another 20,000 for an extra 40 days to reinforce the forces involved in the upcoming operations.