Before the Battle to Invade Gaza… Israel Between Military Mobilization and Soldiers’ Reluctance

---

Israel is carrying out extensive military preparations to recruit 60,000 reservists in order to expand the fighting inside Gaza City. Yet, this mobilization faces a noticeable decline in enthusiasm among soldiers.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army announced that recent days had seen logistical and operational measures in preparation for widening the scope of combat inside Gaza, alongside a large-scale call-up of reservists.

• Israeli Army Faces Fierce Resistance in Gaza Outskirts

• Israeli army approves guidelines for Gaza offensive

Meanwhile, media reports indicated a lower response rate among reserve forces to mobilization orders, with a growing number of exemption requests for personal and economic reasons. This has reduced manpower density across several units.

The army declared: “As part of these preparations, fighters will be provided with combat gear, personal equipment, and full tactical kits, in accordance with their missions.”

The statement added that the Technology and Logistics Division had set up air-conditioned compounds for accommodation, as well as water, electricity, and sanitation infrastructure, to provide better living conditions for soldiers. Maintenance and technology crews from the Southern Command, deployed at the front lines, are tasked with keeping armored vehicles and combat equipment operational, even carrying out complex repairs under fire.

• Israeli Army Preparing to Occupy Gaza City with a Quarter Million Soldiers

• The Rafah Brigade Remains a Military Challenge for the Israeli Army in Gaza

According to the army, soldiers are undergoing a series of drills in both urban and open areas to boost their readiness ahead of upcoming missions.

Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee addressed Gaza residents: “Ahead of the expansion of fighting into the city, we remind you that the Al-Mawasi area will see improved humanitarian services, particularly in health, water, and food. For your safety, we warn you that approaching or returning to combat zones or areas where our forces operate will put you in grave danger.”

Israel’s public broadcaster reported that the mobilization and training were part of preparations for the next stage of Operation “Chariots of Gideon 2” in Gaza, aimed at broadening combat operations. It noted that soldiers are currently undergoing intensive training to increase their readiness and enable their return to the battlefield.

• Hamas Remaining in Power and Ceasefire Demand: Israeli Army’s Requests Anger Netanyahu

• Israeli Army and Mossad Agree on Plans to Strike Iran

Reserve officers, quoted by the same source, confirmed that the response rate to the current call-up was lower than in previous campaigns, pointing to a sharp rise in exemption requests. Initial assessments revealed a drop in the number of teams and soldiers confirming attendance, both in reserve and regular units, which has reduced manpower density within battalions and companies.

Under the military plan, about 130,000 reservists and five regular divisions are expected to take part in the operation to occupy Gaza, scheduled to unfold gradually until 2026. In the near term, the army will begin concentrating its brigades around the enclave to encircle the city and push forward toward control. Two maneuver divisions have already started encirclement operations.

• Biden Administration prepares to impose sanctions on Israeli Army Officers 

• The Israeli army is preparing for surprise Hamas weapons in the event of a ground invasion

The Israeli daily Maariv reported that 60,000 additional reservists had been called up, joining the 70,000 already mobilized. According to the paper, the army is preparing for a second invasion of Gaza, while Hamas, over recent months, has planted roadside bombs, rigged buildings and tunnels, set ambushes, and deployed snipers and anti-tank teams.

It added that the 60,000 reservists would begin assembling on Tuesday, joining the 70,000 whose call-up orders had already been extended by forty days. The army is thus preparing for a renewed invasion under the so-called “Iron Swords” war. The previous operation exacted a heavy toll: one hundred soldiers killed and dozens wounded.

Military estimates suggest that combat inside Gaza City could be extremely complex for two main reasons: first, the densely populated urban terrain and the vast network of underground tunnels; second, Hamas’s months-long preparations, which include planting explosives, booby-trapping buildings and tunnels, setting ambushes, and deploying snipers along with anti-tank units.

• Amnesty International calls for investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in southern Lebanon

• Occupation of Gaza Plan… Israeli Estimates Suggest Fighting Could Last Until 2026

• From the Battlefield to the Therapist’s Office: Gaza Haunts Israeli Soldiers Without Firing a Bullet

• A Break in Khan Younis Gets Elite Israeli Unit Pulled from Gaza

• Stop the Unjust War in Gaza: A Message from 550 Former Israeli Officials to Trump