Israel has initiated a significant military operation in Gaza, following a series of airstrikes that resulted in over 100 fatalities, as part of a renewed effort to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced late Friday that they had commenced "extensive attacks and mobilized forces to seize strategic areas in the Gaza Strip," marking the beginning of Operation Gideon’s Chariots. This operation aims to expand the ongoing campaign in Gaza to achieve Israel's broader war objectives.
The announcement coincided with the conclusion of U.S. President Donald Trump’s regional tour, which included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but notably excluded Israel. During a press conference in Abu Dhabi, Trump acknowledged the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating, “We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving.” However, his earlier proposal to transform Gaza into a “freedom zone”—a luxury leisure and business hub under U.S. control—has failed to gain traction, and discussions on Gaza's long-term future remain stalled.
The past 72 hours have seen a sharp escalation in violence, with Gaza’s civil defense agency reporting 108 deaths, predominantly women and children, from Friday’s strikes alone. Some Palestinian officials estimate the death toll from recent Israeli attacks could be as high as 250 to 300. Hospitals, including the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza and Nasser Hospital, received numerous casualties following strikes on Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. In Jabaliya, a heavily bombarded northern neighborhood, scenes of devastation unfolded as families mourned amidst rubble, with one resident, Umm Mohammed al-Tatari, recounting the chaos of a pre-dawn attack: “We were asleep when suddenly everything exploded around us … there was blood everywhere, body parts and corpses.”
The IDF reported striking over 150 “terror” targets across Gaza, targeting Hamas, which still holds 57 of the approximately 250 hostages taken during its October 2023 attack on Israel—an assault that killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s intensified blockade and bombardments, ongoing since mid-March, aim to force Hamas to release the hostages, though fewer than half are believed to remain alive. The broader Israeli offensive has resulted in approximately 53,000 deaths in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to the local health ministry.
The conflict follows the breakdown of a January ceasefire in mid-March, after Israel declined to advance to a second phase that could have ended the war. Recent Israeli strikes targeted Hamas’s current commander in Gaza, allegedly sheltering in tunnels beneath a hospital complex in Khan Younis, though Hamas denies using civilians as human shields. Israel has mobilized tens of thousands of reservists for the new offensive, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated will involve holding seized territory and displacing significant portions of Gaza’s population.
Amid the violence, Hamas released Edan Alexander, the last U.S. citizen in its custody, following direct negotiations with the Trump administration that excluded Israel. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu expressed hope that the U.S. would pressure Israel to open crossings for humanitarian aid, a sentiment echoed by aid agencies warning of soaring malnutrition rates, particularly among children. However, Israel’s blockade, imposed over 10 weeks ago, has exacerbated the crisis, with Israeli officials alleging that Hamas diverts aid to fund its operations.
The U.S. has supported an Israeli proposal to distribute aid through private contractor-run hubs in Gaza, protected by Israeli troops—a plan criticized by aid agencies as unworkable and potentially unlawful due to the risk of forced population transfers. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the criticism, noting that Washington remains open to alternatives. Meanwhile, the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, set to begin operations by month’s end, has called for Israel to lift its blockade to allow immediate aid delivery.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher urged swift action, emphasizing that the UN has a proven plan, 160,000 pallets of relief, and established distribution networks ready to assist Gaza’s civilians. “We demand rapid, safe, and unimpeded aid delivery for civilians in need,” Fletcher stated. Despite widespread support among Israelis for a new ceasefire to secure the hostages’ release, Israeli officials have downplayed the likelihood of an imminent breakthrough. Families of the hostages criticized Netanyahu for missing a “historic opportunity” to resolve the crisis.
The conflict has also spilled beyond Gaza, with heightened violence in the occupied West Bank and missile attacks on Israel by Yemen’s Houthi militia. Israel responded with strikes on Yemen’s Red Sea ports of Hodeidah and Salif, aiming to weaken Houthi military capabilities. As the situation deteriorates, the international community continues to grapple with the escalating humanitarian and geopolitical ramifications of the conflict.
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