Gaza City invasion plan approved by Israel with 60k reserve troops to be called up

Israel has approved plans to invade and occupy Gaza City - and is preparing to mobilise 60,000 reserve troops for the operation it has dubbed "Gideon's Chariots II."

The move, which will forcibly displace thousands of civillians from Gaza City to the south of the Strip, was approved by Defense Minister Israel Katz today. Israel's war cabinet voted to occupy the war-torn region and displace its population earlier this month in a plan that sparked international outrage and condemnation by the UN Security Council. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely alarmed" by the decision and reiterated an urgent appeal for a permanent ceasefire. "This decision marks a dangerous escalation and risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians" and Israeli captives in Gaza, Guterres said.

More than 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, including over 18,000 children, with another 151,000 civillians injured. 50 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza "with those still alive held in unthinkably inhumane and appalling conditions," Ramesh Rajasingham, Head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said.

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Rajasingham called Isarel's invasion plan a "grave escalation in a conflict that has already inflicted unimaginable suffering," adding that a "grim milestone" has been crossed in the humanitarian community.

"We have frankly run out of words to describe" humanitarian conditions, which "are beyond horrific", he added. "This is no longer a looming hunger crisis - this is starvation pure and simple."

In a joint statement condemning Israe's decision, the foreign ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom said it risked "violating international humanitarian law". It will also "aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians".

It comes amid what officials have described as an "unimaginable" famine in Gaza that has claimed hundreds of lives. As of August 19, at least 266 people, including 122 children, have starved to death in the region following an aid blockade imposed by Israel. Parachuted aid deliveries were later allowed into the strip, despite repeated warnings they were dangerous, ineffective and far from meeting Gaza's desperate need for food, baby formula and medical supplies.

Earlier this month, a coalition of 24 countries, including the UK, Australia and several European states, warned that famine is "unfolding before our eyes" and demanded Israel allow unrestricted aid into Gaza.

"The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation. Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicised," their joint statement said.

Thousands of furious Israelis took to the streets last week, demanding Benjamin Netanyahu end his war on Gaza after plans were announced to claim Gaza City.