Belgium’s Foreign Ministry has called on the Israeli government to reverse its decision to implement the 'Gideon Chariots II' military operation in Gaza.
The offensive would lead to more deaths, destruction, and mass displacements, and would not help in securing the release of the hostages, the Ministry warned in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Israel’s Defence Ministry announced that Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had approved the army’s plan to seize Gaza City. The plan includes mobilising 60,000 reservists for the operation.
In early August, Israel had revealed its preparations to take control of Gaza City and nearby refugee camps.
The stated goal of the operation is to defeat Hamas and rescue hostages taken during the 7 October 2023 attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement, which triggered the ongoing war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed late last week that the plan, endorsed by his security cabinet, would proceed as part of a new phase of military operations in the Gaza Strip.
