TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military has announced the deployment of two reserve brigades for missions in the Gaza Strip, as preparations for a ground invasion of Rafah, the southern Gaza city and Hamas’ last major stronghold, are underway.
With more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million seeking shelter in the city, concerns over potential harm to civilians have been raised as Israel gears up for the offensive. The decision to send in additional troops comes as Israel aims to destroy Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.
The brigades will be involved in “defensive and tactical missions” in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. These soldiers have been studying the main lessons from previous fighting in Gaza in preparation for their deployment.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas was sparked by a raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages. Israel claims that the terrorists are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.
In Gaza, the Hamas-run Health Ministry reported that at least 34,262 Palestinians have been killed in the war, without distinguishing between fighters and civilians. The Israeli military, on the other hand, stated that they have killed around 13,000 terrorists.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian woman after she ran towards soldiers with a knife near Hebron. The woman was identified as 20-year-old Maimuna Harahsheh. Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.