Israel Calls Up Another 18,000 Reservists for Gaza Invasion

65,000 Called Up Since Start of Latest War

The Israeli military has issued a statement today announcing that they have called up another 18,000 reservist soldiers for the ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip, bringing the overall number up to 65,000.

Israel began the invasion of the strip earlier this afternoon, just hours after ending a five hour “humanitarian ceasefire,” and one which officials say will likely be escalated further in the days to come.

The exact number of troops involved in the ground invasion so far is unknown, but is believed to be many thousands, backed with tanks and warplanes that are continuing to pound the tiny enclave’s civilian population.

Israel had troops on “stand-by” along the Gaza border for several days, and it was only after finally getting approval from the security cabinet today that the invasion began.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.