Middle East: Israel apparently mobilizes tens of thousands of reservists

According to media reports, tens of thousands of reservists are to be mobilized in Israel for an expansion of the fighting in the Gaza Strip . According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's security cabinet was scheduled to meet Sunday evening to authorize this military realignment. The timing, scope, and number of additional forces deployed in Gaza are to be discussed. The newspaper Yediot Aharonot quoted an army general as saying that they are facing a "significant change," a broad-based operation "in large areas where we have not previously operated."

More than two-thirds of the densely populated Palestinian coastal strip has already been declared no-go zones or evacuation areas. Aid organizations still working in Gaza report catastrophic conditions, hunger, and very limited water resources. "For two months, children in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to relentless bombardment and cut off from vital aid, services, and supplies," reads a statement by the children's agency UNICEF, which criticizes Israel's ongoing blockade of all humanitarian aid to Gaza. With each passing day, "the risk of children dying from hunger, disease, and death" grows: "There is no justification for this."

According to Palestinian sources, at least eleven people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in the southern Gaza Strip. Among them were women and minors, a spokesperson for the Hamas-controlled Civil Defense said. An Israeli army spokeswoman said there had been an attack on a Hamas terrorist in the area.

The latest announcement of an escalation of fighting in Gaza follows a recently failed attempt to achieve a negotiated settlement between Israel and Hamas – and significantly tougher statements by the Israeli government in recent days. Netanyahu stated for the first time that the liberation of the 59 Israeli hostages currently held in Gaza, of whom more than 20 are believed to be alive, is no longer the "primary goal" of the war. Officially, Israel's military operation pursues the goal of freeing the hostages and also of expelling the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas from Gaza.

On Saturday evening, thousands of Israelis took to the streets again to demonstrate for an end to the war and an agreement that would free the hostages. A majority of Israelis now oppose the war, and recently, former soldiers and reservists also protested against the military operation with letters.

On Sunday morning, a Houthi rocket fired from Yemen landed near Tel Aviv Airport. Israel's sophisticated air defenses failed in this case. Despite several attempts, it was said that they were unable to stop the missile. Warning sirens sounded in numerous areas of Israel during the attack, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Air traffic was temporarily disrupted, and the roads leading to the airport were temporarily closed. Since the Israeli army resumed attacks in Gaza on March 18, the Houthi militia has also regularly fired missiles towards Israel in solidarity with Hamas. The Iran-aligned group claimed responsibility for the attack on Tel Aviv Airport, saying it aimed a "hypersonic missile" at Ben Gurion Airport. The Houthis called on international airlines to avoid the airport for security reasons.

After the attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened a counterattack that would be far more severe: "Anyone who attacks us will be struck back sevenfold," Katz declared, apparently with a religious reference. Israel's military had not attacked any targets in Yemen for about four months – likely in coordination with the United States, whose military has repeatedly bombed Houthi targets since March.

Several airlines responded to the incident and temporarily suspended their flights to and from Tel Aviv, including the Lufthansa Group. The measure will remain in effect until May 6, a company spokesperson said. The reason is the threat of escalation of the conflict. Affected passengers will be notified and rebooked on alternative flights if available. This affects, among others, Lufthansa and Swiss, as well as cargo transport.