August 21, 2025 | 11:02 am
Israel has announced the first step of the operation to take over Gaza City on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. Israel has called up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
"We have initiated the preliminary operation and the first stage of the attack on Gaza City, and now the (Israeli military) forces have seized the outskirts of Gaza City," said Brigadier General Effie Defrin, a military spokesperson for Israel, to journalists quoted from Al Arabiya.
A military official who briefed journalists on Wednesday said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September. During this period, the mediators still have the opportunity to bridge the gap between Hamas and Israel regarding ceasefire terms.
However, after Israeli troops clashed with Hamas in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it would accelerate the schedule to take over the Hamas stronghold. The statement indicated that Israel is pushing ahead to seize the largest city center in Gaza amidst international criticism of an operation that will likely force more Palestinian residents to flee.
60,000 Reserve Soldiers Deployed
Approximately 60,000 Israeli reserve soldiers will be called up by the military ahead of a major assault on Hamas in Gaza. The call-up of reserve soldiers has been approved by Israeli Defense Minister Katz, according to the Israeli Defense Forces and security officials cited from Times of Israel.
The call-up of reserve soldiers will be conducted in several waves. The majority of around 40,000 to 50,000 reserve soldiers will be ordered to duty on September 2, 2025. The next wave will take place in November-December 2025, and the third wave in February-March 2026.
The number of reserve soldiers called up is in addition to the tens of thousands of reserve soldiers currently on duty in reserve forces. The IDF stated that it would also extend reserve duty for around 20,000 reserve soldiers currently serving for 30-40 days. This will increase the total number of reserve soldiers at a given time during the attack to around 130,000.
The IDF's assault on Gaza City will be carried out in several stages, starting with the evacuation warning for civilian residents in the area. Israeli officials previously stated that Palestinian residents have until October 7, 2025, to evacuate from Gaza City, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of Hamas's attack on Israel.
The IDF will then encircle Gaza City before advancing further into the city, including reaching areas that were not previously fully cleared of Hamas infrastructure, said military officials.
Israel's plan to take over Gaza has sparked international and domestic condemnation. The increasingly escalating humanitarian crisis and hunger in Gaza will worsen. Furthermore, the lives of the remaining hostages will be increasingly threatened due to the expansion of military operations.
Israeli Soldiers Fatigued and Depressed
Reported by CNN, the initial discourse of taking over Gaza was initially estimated to take five months or more. However, on Wednesday, Netanyahu instructed the military to shorten this period. The takeover and occupation of the largest city in northern Gaza, which Netanyahu claims is one of Hamas's last strongholds, will require the military to call up another 60,000 reserve soldiers and expand the duties of another 20,000 soldiers.
These plans have triggered growing condemnation both internationally and domestically over concerns that the increasingly escalating humanitarian crisis and hunger in Gaza will worsen and the lives of the remaining hostages will be increasingly threatened due to the expansion of military operations.
In the field, the situation is quite complicated. Israeli soldiers on duty are reported to be suffering from depression. A new survey from Agam Labs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem indicated that about 40 percent of soldiers are less motivated to do their duty, with only 13 percent more motivated. This finding reinforces the harsh reality faced by the Israeli military, which potentially faces limitations in human resources. Furthermore, according to polls, the majority of Israeli citizens support the end of the war.
Military leaders have requested the government to recruit ultra-Orthodox members into the military service to assist the besieged forces. However, most of the ultra-Orthodox community refuse to serve.
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