Israeli Cabinet Calls Up 75,000 Reservists as Gaza Invasion Looms

Last Ditch Effort to De-Escalate Conflict as Israel Spurns Ceasefire

The Israeli Inner Cabinet has agreed to call up 75,000 additional reservists tonight as the military continues to build up forces along the southern border with the Gaza Strip, talking up the prospect of a full-scale ground incursion.

This comes as Egyptian officials push a last-ditch effort to de-escalate the situation on the ground, and while rocket strikes have slowed against Israel, the Israeli leadership doesn’t seem interested in stopping the fighting.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman insisted Israel isn’t interested in a ceasefire right now because he believes it would only last for a couple of weeks anyhow, while Defense Minister Ehud Barak has repeatedly said the fighting is only just beginning.

How soon an invasion could begin is unclear, though Israel has been rushing tanks and armored vehicles to the Gaza border since yesterday. Depending on the size of the invasion it could happen in a matter of days.

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.