Israel has opened the second phase of its war in the Gaza Strip, sending ground forces to the outskirts of Gaza City and beginning to encircle the enclave’s largest urban centre. The Israel Defense Forces said the advance marks the start of Operation "Gideon’s Chariots" against remaining Hamas strongholds and follows overnight air- and artillery strikes across the city. The Israeli defence ministry has authorised the mobilisation of roughly 60,000 reservists to support the campaign. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages; Israeli officials say around 50 hostages are still held in Gaza. Speaking in Yokohama on Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate Gaza cease-fire and asked Israel to reverse its newly approved plan to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning that a full assault on Gaza City would bring “inevitable” civilian casualties. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States continue to press a Hamas-accepted proposal for a 60-day truce and an initial exchange of 10 living hostages and 18 bodies for about 200 Palestinian prisoners, but Israel has yet to issue a formal response.