Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday approved a military plan to seize control of Gaza City and ordered the mobilization of around 60,000 reservists to support the operation, the Defense Ministry said.

The move follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement last week that the security cabinet had endorsed the new plan as part of what Israeli officials describe as a “decisive stage” in the ongoing war in Gaza.

According to the ministry’s statement, the operation aims to “enable the Israeli army to establish full control over Gaza City,” while international warnings continue to mount over the risk of further escalation and worsening humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave.