Israel's security cabinet met on Sunday and approved plans to escalate the military campaign against Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's logic appears to be that victory over Hamas will come from a barrage of greater military force in the coming weeks.

"We are not yet finished with the war. We will carry out this operation with a united army, with a strong army and soldiers of great determination," Netanyahu declared on Sunday, as his security cabinet signed off on expanding the scope of the fighting.

But it is not clear how the additional reinforcements will fundamentally change the dynamics we have witnessed over the course of 18 months of war, in which hundreds of thousands of soldiers attacked Hamas fighters and besieged the population of Gaza, but failed to achieve Israel's goals of destroying the armed group or releasing all the hostages.

It remains uncertain whether the Israeli military will reinforce its presence in Gaza before President Trump arrives in the Middle East next week for meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Two reservists, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment to the media, said they received call-up orders starting in June.

Since the collapse of a two-month ceasefire in March, Israel has blocked the flow of food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Israeli Air Force has already resumed its heavy bombardment of the Strip.

Now, the government is preparing to expand its ground offensive as well, with the aim of reentering Gaza's cities and forcing Hamas to accede to Israel's demand that it permanently lay down its weapons.

The question is whether a return to this type of fighting represents a roadmap for ending hostilities or merely an escalation of a deadly conflict with dire consequences for the Palestinians and the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

According to Tamir Hayman, who served as head of Israeli military intelligence for four years, attempts to pressure Hamas with overwhelming force have “exhausted” after more than a year and a half of war. “Eliminating Hamas as a terrorist organization by military force alone is extremely difficult,” said Hayman, executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank. He added that Israel would be better off ending the war with Hamas, which has been significantly weakened and can be controlled after the fighting ends. The Israeli military has not provided details on how reserve forces will be deployed. But two Israeli officials, who requested anonymity to comment on military plans, say it will involve several brigades seeking to achieve so-called operational superiority in several parts of Gaza.

The Trump administration sought a new ceasefire, but Hamas demanded an end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, while Israel insisted on Hamas's disarmament, a demand the movement rejected.

The call-up of Israeli soldiers is also a message to Netanyahu's hardline supporters, some of whom are dismayed that the military has not completed its mission to eliminate Hamas. The promise of a more vicious phase of the war may make good domestic policy for him. But other voices, such as Yair Lapid, the leader of the Israeli opposition, have expressed deep skepticism about this strategy. "I fear that the intensity of the fighting will determine the fate of the hostages," Lapid told Army Radio. "What's the point? Why are they calling up reservists? Extending regular service without setting a goal—that's not how you win a war."

In a statement issued on Monday, the organization representing the hostages' families urged the government not to expand the war.

"The expansion of military operations puts every hostage at grave risk," the families said. "We appeal to decision-makers: Prioritize the hostages. Reach an agreement. Bring them home—before it's too late."