Israel calls up 60,000 reservists ahead of planned Gaza City offensive

Israel says it's calling up around 60-thousand reservists ahead of a planned ground offensive aimed at capturing and occupying all of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, an 10 Hamas militants were killed after they attempted to ambush an IDF outpost in southern Gaza.

Lee Seung-jae has more.

The Israeli military says it is calling up around 60-thousand reservists ahead of a planned ground offensive aimed at capturing and occupying all of Gaza City.

The military says it will go ahead with the operation, with the aim of eliminating Hamas.

"We will deepen the attack on Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organization. We will intensify the strikes on the terror infrastructure above and below ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas."

According to Israeli officials, the reservists will begin reporting for duty in September, but most of the forces for the operation will come from active-duty units already on the ground.

The move comes as Israel prepares to order hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City to evacuate south.

The government announced its intention to seize the entire Gaza Strip after the ceasefire and hostage talks with Hamas collapsed last month.

However, mediators Qatar and Egypt are pushing for a new agreement, a 60-day truce, and the release of about half of the 50 hostages still believed to be in Gaza.

While Hamas says it has accepted the proposal, Israel has not issued a formal response and insists it will only accept a comprehensive deal that secures the release of all hostages.

Meanwhile, fighting continues on the ground.

On Tuesday, around 18 Hamas militants emerged from a tunnel near Khan Yunis and attacked an Israeli Kfir Brigade outpost with rifles and anti-tank grenade launchers.

Israeli forces, backed by airstrikes, killed 10 of the attackers, while the rest retreated into the tunnel.

Three Israeli soldiers were injured in the ambush, none of them seriously.

Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.