Israeli Offensive In Gaza Intensifies As Operation Gideon’s Chariots Targets Hamas.
Israel has launched a major military offensive in Gaza, dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” aimed at dismantling Hamas and securing the release of remaining hostages, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on its Hebrew X account. The operation involves seizing “strategic areas” of the Gaza Strip, with thousands of troops, including reservists, mobilised for what is expected to be a significant ground incursion.
The offensive, which began with intensified airstrikes, has already claimed numerous lives. According to the Hamas-run civil defence, approximately 250 Palestinians have been killed since Thursday, with Reuters reporting at least 58 deaths from overnight airstrikes, based on local authority figures. The IDF stated it had struck over 150 “terror targets” in the past 24 hours and vowed to continue operations “until Hamas is no longer a threat and all our hostages are home.”
The operation follows Israel’s imposition of an aid blockade in March, after the collapse of a two-month ceasefire. This has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with a UN-backed assessment warning that the population faces a “critical risk” of famine. US President Donald Trump, speaking on Friday, noted that “a lot of people were starving” in the region, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern over the escalating situation.
The Times of Israel reported that Operation Gideon’s Chariots—named after a biblical warrior—will see the IDF take control of territory, relocate civilians to southern Gaza, target Hamas infrastructure, and prevent the group from controlling aid supplies. However, the operation has drawn sharp international criticism. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that Israel’s actions, including forced displacement and denial of humanitarian aid, could constitute a breach of international law and amount to “ethnic cleansing.”
In Gaza, residents of northern and central areas have been ordered to evacuate, an instruction aid workers describe as nearly impossible due to repeated displacements during the conflict. Victoria Rose, a British reconstructive surgeon at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, told the BBC’s Weekend programme that her team is “exhausted” and that malnutrition is rampant, particularly among children. “The children are really thin,” she said, noting widespread burn injuries and infections worsened by poor nutrition.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who earlier this month signalled an “intense entry into Gaza,” delayed the operation until President Trump completed a Middle East tour, which concluded on Friday. Despite faint hopes for a ceasefire through indirect talks in Qatar, Israel has pressed ahead with its military plans, amassing armoured forces along the Gaza border.
The conflict stems from Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage, 58 of whom remain in captivity. Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports that at least 53,000 people have been killed in the territory.
As the offensive escalates, international pressure mounts for Israel to resume ceasefire negotiations and lift its blockade. However, the Israeli government continues to reject claims of a food shortage in Gaza, insisting its actions are necessary to neutralise Hamas.
