“Haaretz” writes, citing the IDF, that a major offensive in Gaza City would cause a deepening crisis with reserve units, which are facing increasingly low turnout and poor morale.
The Israeli military (IDF) has warned that implementing the orders of the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government to destroy all of Gaza City, above and below ground, as happened in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Rafah, could take many months, possibly more than a year. The announcement comes after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Friday that if Hamas does not accept Israel’s terms for ending the war, Gaza City would become “another Rafah.” A major offensive in Gaza City would cause a deepening crisis with reserve units, which are facing increasingly low turnout and poor morale, Haaretz reported, citing the IDF.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has told government leaders that he will not launch any major offensive in Gaza without first establishing a “humanitarian zone” for residents. He also stressed that military action will not begin without the necessary operational and legal preparations, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to expedite the operation.
So far, no such zone for displaced Palestinians has been established, meaning that significant infrastructure work will be required. IDF sources point out that the evacuation of Rafah took two weeks, and the estimate is that the evacuation of Gaza City, with its approximately 1.2 million inhabitants, will take even longer. According to the IDF, the plan presented by the army chief allows the army to stop fighting if an agreement is reached on the release of hostages and a ceasefire with Hamas. The IDF emphasizes that its position is to exhaust all diplomatic efforts and secure as many hostages as possible before launching any attack on Gaza City, due to serious concerns for their safety during the heavy fighting.
Tensions between the military leadership and the government are high, especially over the threat the offensive poses to the lives of the hostages. Senior IDF officials stressed over the weekend that the chief of staff will not act illegally and will fully follow the instructions of the Military Prosecutor General, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. Currently, three IDF divisions are active in Gaza:
– The 99th Division: is fighting in the Zeitoun neighborhood, on the outskirts of Gaza City.
– 162nd Division: active in Jabaliya and near the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza.
– 36th Division: operates in the Morag corridor and the Khan Yunis area.
In addition, the IDF Gaza Division is responsible for securing the Philadelphia Corridor (the Gaza-Egypt border) in the south and overseeing food distribution points in that area. The IDF has issued orders to call up about 60 reservists, who are expected to report on September 2. Most of them will replace troops in the West Bank and northern border, so that the latter can participate in the offensive on Gaza City.