Top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to meet on Sunday to vote on whether to intensify the country’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, as the army began to call up thousands of reserve soldiers in preparation for an expanded assault, Israeli officials said.
The plans to escalate fighting in Gaza more than 18 months after the war there erupted come as a humanitarian crisis in the territory deepens.
Also Sunday, after rebels in Yemen launched a missile, the Israeli military said a projectile landed in the area of Israel’s main airport. It was not clear if it was the missile or an interceptor of the country’s missile defense system.
As part of its efforts to pressure the militant group Hamas to negotiate on Israel’s terms for a new ceasefire, Israel in early March halted the entry of goods into Gaza. That has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis since the war began.
An eight-week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that brought a lull in fighting and freed Israeli hostages collapsed in March. Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza on March 18 and has captured swaths of the coastal enclave. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the fighting resumed, according to local health officials. At least six Israeli soldiers have been killed in the renewed fighting.
An Israeli official said the country’s influential security Cabinet would meet on Sunday evening to vote on plans to expand the fighting. A military official said the country was calling up thousands of reserve soldiers. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, said he wanted to see a “powerful” expansion of the war, but did not disclose details as to what that would entail.
“We need to increase the intensity and continue until we achieve total victory. We must win a total victory,” he said.
As the war in Gaza has dragged on, Israel has faced continued attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who on Sunday launched a missile that set off air raid sirens in many parts of the country. Police said a fragment had landed in Israel’s coastal area, although it was not clear if that was from the missile or an interceptor from Israel’s missile defense system.
A large plume of smoke could be seen rising near Israel’s airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling to take cover. It was not clear whether the fragment had landed inside the area of the airport, but police said they were closing the entrances to it while they dealt with the scene.
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Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer contributed to this report from Nahariya, Israel.
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