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Israel is about to launch a major offensive in the Gaza Strip, despite progress in talks on a new ceasefire-hostage agreement.
On August 17, Hamas said it had accepted a deal based on a United States proposal which would commit the group to release ten living hostages and the bodies of 18 of the slain hostages, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release by Israel of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, amid talks for a permanent end to the war.
Israel showed openness to discuss the agreement, but at the same time it fast-tracked work on a major offensive targeting Gaza City.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on August 19 approved plans for the offensive. The offensive was codenamed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots B”, following a previous operation of the same name, which saw the IDF take over 75% of Gaza’s territory in an attempt to pressure Hamas into an agreement.
The offensive will reportedly be carried out in several stages, beginning with an evacuation warning for the civilians in Gaza City. Palestinians will have until October 7 to evacuate the city, which coincides with the second anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023.
After the evacuation, the IDF will then encircle Gaza City before pushing deep in. Israel troops will reportedly reach areas that were not completely cleared in the past, including some places where hostages may be held.
The day after the approval of the plans by Katz, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the preparation phases for the offensive have already begun, with an ongoing offensive on the outskirts of Gaza City.
The Nahal Infantry Brigade and 7th Armored Brigade have been operating in the Zeitoun neighborhood, and the Givati Infantry Brigade began a new offensive in the Kafr Jabalia area, north of the city.
Also on August 20, call-up orders were sent to 60,000 Israeli reservists. Not all of them will, however, join the offensive.
Hamas didn’t sit idle. On August 20, some 14 fighters of the group carried out a bold attack on an IDF post near the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. One of the fighters blew himself up and others attempted to kidnap Israeli troops. The IDF later said that ten of the attackers were killed. It also admitted that three troops were wounded, including one seriously.
All in all, Israel appears to be determined to attack and occupy Gaza City. Netanyahu maintains maximalist demands for ending the war, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 60,000 Palestinians, including the release of all hostages and the complete liquidation of Hamas.
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