The IDF is expected to issue tens of thousands of reserve duty call-up orders in the coming days as part of a planned muster and expansion of its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. The goals of the campaign: The release of Israeli hostages, and the collapse of Hamas rule within the strip.
Military officials stress that these objectives are interconnected, and that the operation is being carried out gradually and strategically. The reservist mobilization is meant to ramp up pressure on Hamas, which Israeli officials have increasingly labeled as "defiant."
Plans for expanding the operation were presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past Friday, and the Israeli Diplomatic-Security Cabinet is set to deliberate on the proposals Sunday. Senior IDF officials believe the planned escalation is necessary, and assert that Hamas continues to plan attacks on Israel proper.
Israeli officials say that the combination of military pressure and the restriction of humanitarian aid is having a noticeable impact, describing Hamas as behaving like a group on the run. Some operatives have reportedly surrendered, and the group's command and control infrastructure has suffered significant damage. Still, the IDF warns that Hamas retains operational capabilities, including at least two functioning brigades. The Israeli defense establishment hopes that increased military and humanitarian pressure will prompt Hamas to soften its stance in negotiations.
Meanwhile, the IDF has been operating in Syria for some time to prevent strategic capabilities from being developed that could threaten Israel. The government has instructed the military to counter threats emanating from Damascus and to prevent atrocities against the Druze population in Syria. Several injured Druze were evacuated into Israel overnight. The army sees the protection of the Druze as a strategic security interest for Israel.
