Israel has taken a decisive step toward expanding its military campaign in Gaza, with Defense Minister Israel Katz authorizing a full-scale plan to seize Gaza City and the mobilization of roughly 60,000 reservists. The move comes just as mediators report progress on a truce framework, deepening the divide between battlefield strategy and diplomatic negotiation.
Hamas swiftly condemned the order, calling it proof of Israel’s “blatant disregard” for ceasefire efforts and accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stonewalling. The militant group argued that Netanyahu remains the biggest obstacle to any agreement, prioritizing the continuation of war over the fate of Israeli hostages.
According to mediators, Hamas has already signaled its acceptance of a plan that would begin with a 60-day ceasefire, phased hostage exchanges, and limited prisoner releases, alongside provisions for humanitarian aid. Israel, however, insists that any deal must include the return of all hostages under terms acceptable to Jerusalem.
Inside Gaza City, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. Local officials describe a mass flight from eastern neighborhoods, with residents recounting the destruction of homes and the collapse of essential services. “The situation is catastrophic,” said Mustafa Qazzaat, head of the Gaza municipality’s emergency committee.
Israel’s security cabinet quietly endorsed the Gaza City takeover plan earlier this month, though Netanyahu has yet to convene his ministers to discuss the truce proposal. Instead, his office signaled an accelerated timetable for “defeating Hamas” and eliminating its last strongholds.
The hardline stance has triggered renewed criticism from Western allies. Germany openly rejected Israel’s escalation, while French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the offensive risks “dragging the region into a permanent war.”
Meanwhile, Qatar—one of the chief mediators—revealed that the current ceasefire draft is “almost identical” to a version Israel previously accepted, raising questions about Netanyahu’s hesitation. Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad said the plan envisions releasing 10 hostages and 18 bodies initially, with the remaining captives freed during the two-month truce.
On the battlefield, Israel’s military described the upcoming operation as “gradual, precise and targeted,” focusing on areas of Gaza City where forces have not yet operated. Still, local authorities reported dozens killed in Israeli strikes across the territory on Wednesday, with the civil defence agency citing at least 25 dead in a single day.
Nearly two years into the war, the human cost remains staggering: more than 62,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, alongside the 1,219 Israelis who died in Hamas’s October 2023 assault that ignited the conflict. Hostage families, meanwhile, continue to press for urgency, with 49 captives still believed to be in Gaza—27 of them presumed dead.
Even as fighting intensifies, Israel is simultaneously advancing settlement expansion in the West Bank, further inflaming tensions. The Palestinian Authority denounced the latest approval as a direct blow to prospects for a future Palestinian state.
At this point, Israel’s war strategy and the mediation track appear to be moving in opposite directions. Whether the two can converge—through pressure at home, abroad, or on the battlefield—may determine if Gaza sees another extended round of bloodshed or the beginnings of a fragile pause in one of the region’s most devastating conflicts.