Israel Mobilizes Reserve Brigades for Fighting in Gaza

On Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces mobilized two more reserve brigades to prepare for ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

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The brigades, which have so far operated near Israel's northern border, have heightened their readiness for ground operations in Gaza through a series of training, the Israeli Army said.

"The soldiers practiced combat techniques and learned the main insights and lessons from the fighting and ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip so far," it noted.

The move comes after the Israeli army pulled out some of its forces from Gaza. Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi previously said that the army would carry out a ground offensive in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, despite international calls to refrain from such an attack.

Previously, on Tuesday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) denounced that over a million Gaza residents have lost their homes and 75 percent of the population in the Palestinian coastal enclave have been displaced since October 2023. 

"Destruction is everywhere in Gaza. Damage to critical infrastructure is immense," UNRWA wrote in a post on social media platform X.

In a recorded speech marking the 200th day of the conflict, Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, accused Israel of impeding mediation efforts for a ceasefire.

"Israel is trying to escape from all of its promises in negotiations and wants to buy more time," he said, adding that there will be no compromise on the basic rights of the Palestinian people. These include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the blockade, and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.

As of Tuesday, a total of 34,183 Palestinians have been killed and 77,143 others injured in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli attacks.