Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on 20 August approved a military plan to seize Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. The operation—internally codenamed “Gideon’s Chariots B”—authorises the Israel Defense Forces to mobilise roughly 60,000 reservists, supplementing active-duty units that will spearhead the assault. An Israeli military official told Reuters that up to 50,000 reservists will receive call-up notices in the coming days and report for duty in September. Most reservists are expected to serve in air-force, intelligence and logistical roles or backfill active troops redeployed to the enclave. The decision comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the United States to broker a 60-day cease-fire that would include staggered releases of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Jerusalem has said it will not endorse any agreement that fails to secure the release of all captives. Nearly two years of fighting have left at least 62,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack killed 1,219 people in Israel. Aid agencies warn that a fresh ground push into Gaza City could deepen the territory’s already severe humanitarian crisis.