Israel on fresh attacks to 'seize and control' Gaza
Israel’s military has initiated a significant offensive dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of remaining hostages in Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on its Hebrew X account.
The operation involves mobilising troops to seize and control strategic areas of the strip, a move that has intensified the ongoing conflict.
The IDF’s English-language posts omitted the operational name but reaffirmed its resolve, stating it will persist “until Hamas is no longer a threat and all our hostages are home,” with over 150 terror targets struck in the past 24 hours.
The offensive follows Israel’s imposition of an aid blockade in March, after a two-month ceasefire collapsed. The Hamas-run civil defense reported approximately 250 deaths from Israeli attacks since Thursday, while Al Jazeera cited local authorities claiming at least 150 Palestinians killed in airstrikes in a single day.
US President Donald Trump, speaking Friday, highlighted the dire situation, noting “a lot of people were starving” in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has escalated its bombardment and amassed armored units along the border, despite mounting international calls to resume ceasefire negotiations and lift the blockade.
The Times of Israel detailed that “Operation Gideon’s Chariots”—named after a biblical warrior—entails territorial control, relocating civilians southward, targeting Hamas, and preventing the group from accessing aid. Thousands of Israeli troops, including active soldiers and reservists, are poised to enter Gaza in the coming days.
However, residents in northern and central Gaza have been ordered to evacuate, a directive aid workers deem nearly impossible given the repeated displacement caused by the war, leaving many without homes or safe havens.
Faint hopes linger for a new ceasefire through indirect talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled an “intense entry into Gaza” earlier this month, delaying action until Trump concluded his Middle East tour, which ended Friday.
The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned the escalation as a potential breach of international law, warning, “This barrage of bombs, forced displacement, systematic neighborhood destruction, and denial of humanitarian aid suggest a push for a permanent demographic shift in Gaza, tantamount to ethnic cleansing.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed concerns, stating the U.S. is “troubled” by the developments.
On the ground, conditions are dire. British reconstructive surgeon Victoria Rose, working at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, told BBC World Service’s Weekend program that her team is “exhausted” and visibly malnourished, having lost significant weight.
“The children are really thin, with teeth falling out and severe burn injuries,” she said, noting their heightened vulnerability to infections and reduced healing capacity amid widespread malnutrition. A UN-backed assessment from Monday flagged Gaza’s population at “critical risk” of famine, a claim Israel’s government has repeatedly refuted.
This military campaign stems from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed about 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 taken hostage, with 58 still in captivity. The Hamas-run health ministry reports at least 53,000 deaths in Gaza since then. As the offensive unfolds under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s interim government in Bangladesh, global attention intensifies on the humanitarian crisis and the search for a peaceful resolution.
Source: BBC, Al Jazeera