Israel launches 2nd phase of offensive to occupy Gaza City

ISTANBUL

Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Wednesday formally announced the launch of the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots to reoccupy Gaza City.

“We have entered the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots to fulfill the objectives of the war. Returning our hostages is both a moral and national mission,” Zamir told army troops in the field.

The move came after the Israeli army declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” on Friday.

On Aug. 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gradually reoccupy the Gaza Strip, beginning with Gaza City.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, announced the launch of Operation Moses’ Staff to confront Israeli forces advancing into the Gaza Strip, just hours after Tel Aviv officially declared the start of the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots.

In a video released on its Telegram channel, Al-Qassam said its fighters had targeted Israeli military vehicles in the city of Jabalia in northern Gaza as part of “a series of operations under Moses’ Staff.”

For more than three weeks, Israel has been carrying out air raids and large-scale demolitions that have resulted in the killing and wounding of many Palestinians along with massive destruction in the city.

Israel has killed more than 63,700 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.