Israel readies 'ground assault' on Gaza, calls up 40,000 reservists

Israel’s army is formulating options to eradicate rocket fire coming from Gaza, “including ground assault,” an anonymous Israeli official stated on Tuesday. An unspecified number of troops are being called up after preliminary approval for 40,000.

Air raid sirens rang through Tel Aviv as Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted a rocket in images shown on live television, shortly after the troop mobilization.

The reserve soldiers were mobilized as backup for the regular forces in anticipation of a possible escalation in the conflict, spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner told Reuters.

Some 1,500 reservists had already been mobilized by the time that Israel approved the calling up of the extra 40,000. Israel’s security cabinet voted in favor of calling up the tens of thousands of extra personnel as part of a potential “ground operation.”