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The Israeli army estimates that even if it occupies Gaza City, about 200,000 Palestinians—roughly 20% of the city’s population—will refuse to leave their homes despite life-threatening conditions, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday.
As part of its occupation plan, the military aims to displace around 1 million Palestinians from the city. According to the report, about 70,000 residents have already been forced from Gaza City under intense ground and air assaults on its outer neighborhoods.
The pace of Israeli forces’ advance is reportedly tied to how quickly Palestinians are displaced. To accelerate departures, artillery fire has been directed at certain areas, the paper said.
The army on Tuesday began mobilizing 60,000 reservists in preparation for a Gaza City invasion, but is facing difficulties with enlistment, Haaretz said. Commanders are aware of “challenges in recruitment,” and the military has avoided disclosing how many have actually reported for duty.
Although most reservists are expected to replace regular forces in the occupied West Bank and northern Israel, at least three brigades are slated to participate in operations in Gaza, according to the report.
The military is also struggling with a shortage of bulldozers, crucial for clearing urban battlefields. Of the roughly 200 bulldozers in its inventory as of Oct. 7, 2023, about half have been damaged or destroyed in the fighting. The army has purchased 165 additional bulldozers since then, but only 65 have been delivered so far.
On Aug. 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a phased plan to occupy Gaza City. The first stage envisions forcing around 1 million Palestinians southward, surrounding the city and launching heavy bombardments before troops move in.
The second stage would focus on occupying refugee camps in Gaza City’s center, much of which has already been reduced to rubble.
Israel previously occupied Gaza from 1967 until 2005. The coastal enclave, now home to about 2.3 million Palestinians, has been under a strict blockade for the past 18 years.
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