JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel began calling up around 60,000 reservists on Wednesday ahead of a planned offensive to take over Gaza City and displace its population, an Israeli army spokesperson said.
An additional 20,000 soldiers would be called up in the coming days, said the spokesperson. A total of 110,000-130,000 reservists will be drafted in three phases throughout the campaign.
At the peak of the offensive, 12 brigades are expected to operate inside Gaza City, according to a report by Army Radio. According to the report, civilians will be called to move southwards via "designated humanitarian corridors," and additional aid centers and field hospitals would be set up.
The operation is expected to be reviewed by the security cabinet in the coming days for final approval after it received an initial approval from Defense Minister Israel Katz last night, an Israeli security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
"Gaza will be transformed and will never look the same again" once the operation ends, Katz said in a statement.
The attacks on Gaza City have already intensified over the past days. On Wednesday, drones and attack helicopters targeted the city, with one of the strikes killing five members of one family, including three children, in a tent sheltering displaced persons in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, according to Gaza's health authorities.
The five victims were among at least 31 people who were killed in the Israeli strikes across the Palestinian enclave since midnight.
Last week, Israel announced it would "conquer" Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban center, and relocate its residents.
The move has drawn wide condemnation for its impact on the war-ravaged territory. Hamas denounced it as a "new wave of genocide and displacement" for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City.
Israel's 22-month offensive in Gaza has killed more than 62,000 people in strikes and shootings, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Deaths from starvation are rising daily, health officials said. At least 266 people, including 112 children, have died of hunger in Gaza as of Tuesday, the ministry said. ■
