The Israeli government has approved a bill that would allow the military to call another 400,000 reserves amid delays at the start of negotiations for the Gaza ceasefire and the second phase of the prisoner exchange agreement, Anadolu reported.
Israel Channel 14 said the decision came amid fears of new fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Under the new decision, Israeli occupation forces could mobilize up to 400,000 reserves by May 29, representing an increase of 80,000 soldiers compared to previous orders that approved the maximum mobilization of 320,000 reserves.
“This decision comes amidst the ongoing challenges of recruiting personnel for reserve obligations,” the channel said.
The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on January 19, officially ended in the middle of the night on Saturday. However, Israel has not agreed to proceed to the second phase of the deal to end the war in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to extend the initial exchange phase to ensure the release of as many Israeli prisoners as possible without offering any reward or fulfilling the military and humanitarian duties of the agreement.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas refused to proceed under these conditions, insisting that Israel would comply with the terms of the ceasefire and immediately begin negotiations for the second phase.