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20th August 2025
05:20pm BST
Israel has called up 60,000 reservists ahead of its plan to capture and occupy all of Gaza City, according to a military official.
They said that the new reservists would start in September, and that most of those called up would be active-duty personnel.
Troops already operating in Zeitoun and Jabalia are also due to be involved in the plans.
Gaza City is one of the most densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip, and Israeli officials claim Hamas is active inside the city.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are expected to be ordered to evacuate Gaza City and move to shelters in the south of Gaza.
Israel's plans have been condemned by many of its allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the plan "can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war".
Keir Starmer issued a statement when the plans were announced, in which he urged the Israeli government to ‘reconsider immediately’.
“The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately,” the statement added.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the intensification of war and further displacement of Palestinians "risk worsening an already catastrophic situation".