Israel Poised To Expand Gaza Offensive, Call Up More Reservists

Israel is preparing to expand its military operation in Gaza, possibly within days, and will soon start calling up tens of thousands of reservists, according to a person familiar with the plans.

The decision to broaden the ground assault follows a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Friday, said the person, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

The stepped-up campaign would come as Netanyahu faces pressure at home and abroad to break a stalemate in the war with Hamas, which has raged for more than 18 months.

Israeli troops and tanks have occupied about a third of Gaza since a two-month ceasefire ended in mid-March, and Israel has blocked humanitarian aid to the 2-million plus population.

Iran-backed Hamas remains broadly in charge of the coastal strip and still holds 59 hostages, 24 of whom are thought to be alive, taken during the deadly assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Some members of Netanyahu's ruling coalition, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have recently called for military escalation in a bid to destroy Hamas, even if hostage lives are put at risk.

But a majority of Israelis just want the war to end, with hostages exchanged for jailed Palestinian militants, according to a recent poll reported by state-owned Kan News.