Israel starts calling up reservists as it pushes into initial stages of Gaza City offensive

DEIR AL-BALAH Gaza Strip AP Israel began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists on Tuesday as part of its plan to widen its offensive in Gaza City which has sparked opposition domestically and condemnation abroad The beginning of September call-up communicated last month comes as ground and air forces press forward and pursue more targets in northern and central Gaza striking parts of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah two western Gaza City neighborhoods that Israeli forces have repeatedly invaded during the -month war against Hamas militants Zeitoun once Gaza City s largest neighborhood with markets schools and clinics has been transformed over the past month with streets being emptied and buildings reduced to rubble as it becomes what Israel s military last week called a dangerous combat zone Gaza City is Hamas political and military stronghold and according to Israel still home to a vast tunnel organization despite multiple incursions throughout the war It is also one of the last refuges in the northern strip where hundreds of thousands of civilians are sheltering facing twin threats of combat and famine At least reservists will be gradually called up Israel s military mentioned last month It will also extend the arrangement of an additional reservists already serving In Israel a nation of under million largest part Jewish men complete compulsory military organization and remain in the reserves for at least a decade But criticism over the war in Gaza is growing A number of movements are organizing to encourage reservists not to serve though it s unclear how multiple will refuse the latest call-up Since the world s leading authority on food crises declared last month that Gaza City was experiencing famine malnutrition-related deaths have mounted Gaza s Soundness Ministry reported on Tuesday that a total of people died of malnutrition in August marking the highest count in months A total of Palestinians have been killed in the war according to the ministry which says another people have been wounded The ministry doesn t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children make up around half the dead The ministry is part of the Hamas-run governing body but staffed by anatomical professionals U N agencies and numerous independent experts consider its figures to be the most of reliable estimate of war casualties Israel disputes them but hasn t provided its own toll The war started with an attack on Oct on southern Israel in which Hamas-led militants killed people mostly civilians and took people hostage Forty-eight hostages are still inside Gaza around of them supposed by Israel to be alive after most of of the rest were distributed in ceasefires or other deals Metz disclosed from Jerusalem Associated Press writers Fatma Khaled in Cairo and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed to this account Follow AP coverage at https apnews com hub israel-hamas-war Source