‘Hamas will have no place to hide’: Israeli reservists gear up for Gaza city offensive

TEL AVIV: Visiting army reservists called up for duty on Tuesday, Israel’s military chief of staff vowed to “intensify and deepen our operation” against Hamas.

“Hamas will have no place to hide from us,” said the Israel Defense Forces’ top officer, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, who met with troops at the Nachshonim Base in central Israel.

“We are preparing for the continuation of the war. We are going to intensify and deepen our operation, which is why we also called you. We have already begun the maneuver in Gaza so that there will be no doubts. We are already entering places that have not been entered until now and are acting there with force,” Zamir said.

The Israeli military has begun mobilizing thousands of reservists for an offensive into Gaza City, the last major Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip.

About 130,000 reservists and five regular divisions are expected to take part in the operation, which will unfold in stages and extend into 2026. Two divisions already maneuvering in the Strip have begun encircling Gaza City, while additional brigades are gathering in staging areas nearby.

In August, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee authorized the army to summon up to 430,000 soldiers. The IDF said call-up orders would be staggered, with 40,000 to 50,000 reservists reporting on September 2, followed by additional waves in late 2025 and early 2026.

Not all the reservists will be sent into Gaza; many will replace standing troops on other fronts.

Reservists have faced repeated call-ups since Hamas’s October 7 attack. Emergency orders allowing the army to summon large numbers of civilians on short notice have been renewed every few months. In peacetime, such mobilizations are tightly limited, and soldiers must be given advance notice and shorter service terms.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive. (ANI/TPS)