The Israel Defense Forces began a wide-scale ground offensive in multiple areas of the Gaza Strip over the weekend, marking the start of Operation Gideon's Chariots.
In the past 24 hours, regular and reserve forces under the IDF Southern Command launched simultaneous ground maneuvers in northern and southern Gaza. The offensive follows a weeklong aerial bombardment campaign by the Israeli Air Force, which targeted over 670 sites linked to the Hamas terrorist organization across the coastal enclave.
According to the IDF, the airstrikes were intended to disrupt Hamas' military preparations and to support the ground forces. Among the targets struck were weapons depots, terrorist operatives, underground infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch sites.
Israeli forces operating on the ground have reportedly killed dozens of terrorists, destroyed both above-ground and subterranean terror infrastructure, and are now taking control of key strategic areas within the Strip.
At the same time, the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet convened on Sunday for a situational briefing on the ongoing operation and the state of negotiations in Doha. The briefing includes Israel's stance, which remains aligned with the outline put forward by CIA Director William Burns.
Israel Hayom revealed earlier frustration among IDF officers over the nature of the current maneuver, which began without fully evacuating civilians from combat zones or halting the flow of water to Hamas-controlled areas. According to details obtained by the paper, while this operation is broader in scope than any over the past year, some in the senior command believe the state is still refraining from employing the full range of measures at its disposal. Certain officers maintain that only by using all available means can Hamas be defeated and the events that began on October 7 brought to a definitive end.
