Israel mobilizes 60,000 reservists ahead of Gaza City occupation
Iran Press TV
Tuesday, 02 September 2025 5:38 PM
Israel has been intensifying its troop buildup ahead of a planned offensive to capture Gaza City, even as international pressure mounts to end its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian territory.
Israeli media reported Tuesday that the military has begun mobilizing roughly 60,000 reservists for the operation.
The Israeli military said that the reservists will be issued weapons, personal gear and full tactical equipment, with units undergoing drills in urban and open terrain combat "to boost readiness" for the upcoming offensive.
The move follows Israeli military's declaration on Friday that Gaza City is "a dangerous combat zone," signaling preparations to fully occupy the largest city in the besieged Palestinian territory after nearly two years of war.
The buildup comes amid a recent Israeli military investigation that reported a rise in suicides among its soldiers, with most cases linked to severe psychological trauma and exposure to extreme conditions during the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza.
The findings indicated that most suicides stemmed from prolonged exposure to combat, traumatic battlefield experiences, and the psychological toll of losing comrades.
The Israeli military is now poised to advance on Gaza City, the territory's largest urban center, despite international calls for restraint amid fears the assault could cause massive casualties and displace roughly one million Palestinians currently seeking shelter in the city.
Mahmud Bassal, Gaza's civil defense agency spokesperson said on Tuesday that Israeli warplanes hit a residential building in southwestern Gaza City, killing 10 people.
Israeli helicopters struck an apartment in the west of the city, killing three and wounding several others, Bassal added.
Gaza City remains one of the last refuges in the northern part of the strip, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are sheltering amid the dual threats of combat and famine.
Famine was officially declared last month by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
Since March 2, Israeli authorities have closed Gaza's border crossings, plunging the besieged territory's 2.4 million residents deeper into hunger.
Since the world's leading authority on food crises declared last month that Gaza City was experiencing famine, malnutrition-related deaths have mounted.
Gaza's Health Ministry said on Tuesday that a total of 185 people died of malnutrition in August — marking the highest count in months.
Gaza's hunger-related death toll has risen to 361 since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its ongoing brutal assault on the coastal strip.
The death toll from Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has reached 63,633. More than 160,900 others have been injured.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former war minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian territory.
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