With Hamas said to be on the ropes, the Israeli government on Monday was set to approve an additional large-scale call-up of army reservists in a final push to defeat Gaza’s terrorist rulers before international pressure halts the war.
‘We aim to win’
During a tour of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the Israeli army is following a detailed and comprehensive plan the aim of which is to take control of most of the coastal enclave’s territory and end the war in a clear victory for Israel.
“We are intensifying our activity according to a structured plan,” Zamir told his troops currently fighting in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza.
He noted that “Hamas is under tremendous pressure; it has lost most of its assets and its command-and-control structure. We will use all our tools to bring the hostages home, to defeat Hamas and to dismantle its rule.”
“This is not an endless war; we will shorten it as we achieve its goals,” Zamir stressed. “We aim to win and will do so with determination, thoroughness and while maintaining the safety of our forces.”
Increased reservist call-up
To achieve that aim, the Israeli government on Monday was set to approve a proposal that would grant the army the option to call up an additional 400,000 reservists.
The proposal reportedly echoed Zamir’s earlier assessment that 2025 would be a “year of war.”
While touring Gaza on Sunday, Zamir stated: “We are defending ourselves, and to defend ourselves, we are attacking. That is a central lesson of Oct. 7.”
See: Gideon’s Chariots, politics in the shadow of the Bible
Trump pressure?
For many, Zamir’s efforts to refocus the IDF on victory rather than deterrence is refreshing, but might be too late. More than a year-and-a-half into the Gaza war, the international community, and even the overtly pro-Israel Trump administration, is growing weary.
Israel fears being pressured into an unfavorable ceasefire deal if it doesn’t make major military breakthroughs soon. In truth, any ceasefire that leave Hamas standing as the ruling power in Gaza and which fails to disarm the terror group would be seen as a defeat for Israel, the destruction of Gaza notwithstanding.
Rumors have been swirling in Israel for weeks that US President Donald Trump is growing frustrated with the lack of progress toward a ceasefire, as the continuation of the Gaza war disrupts his larger global agenda.
While every speculative report on a widening rift between Trump and Israel has been swiftly denied by the White House, still they persist, making Israel feel that time is running out in its quest for victory.
Inside Operation Gideon’s Chariots: A targeted IDF mission to dismantle terror at its source.@LTC_Shoshani pic.twitter.com/LvPmDPli28
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 20, 2025
Reservist fatigue
There’s also the issue of reservist fatigue. Israel is a small country that struggles to sustain a prolonged war effort. The deployment of hundreds of thousands of reservists is a major strain on Israel’s economy, not to mention the fabric of Israeli society, with so many husbands, fathers, and sons on the battlefield.
That’s why historically Israel strove for swift victories.
One father who spoke to Israel Today echoed another aspect of the growing frustration of many in that the same tens of thousands of reservists are called up every time. In other words, the same small percentage of Israelis are doing all the fighting and constantly risking their lives for everyone else. It’s a sentiment that has grown louder as the war drags on, and which threatens to further divide Israelis.
