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Israel's military has begun Operation "Gideons Chariots" in Gaza to seize strategic areas, release hostages, and defeat Hamas, amid high casualties and international criticism. President Trump called for a "freedom zone" but did not visit Israel.
The Israeli military has launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza, dubbed Operation “Gideon's Chariots" aiming to “seize strategic areas” and “achieve operational control”. This development comes as US President Donald Trump concluded his visit to the region without securing a ceasefire deal.
The IDF statement highlights that the operation's objectives include releasing hostages and defeating Hamas. "Over the past day, the IDF launched extensive attacks and mobilised forces to seize strategic areas in the Gaza Strip, as part of the opening moves of Operation Gideon's Chariots and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza, to achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza, including the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas." The military adds that IDF troops in the Southern Command will continue to operate to protect Israeli citizens and realise the war's goals.
Gaza's civil defense agency reported 100 fatalities on Friday due to Israeli strikes, while the IDF claims to have struck over 150 terror targets in the Gaza Strip within 24 hours. The conflict has led to critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel, and medicines, prompting NGOs to urge Israel to lift its aid blockade.
Israel maintains that cutting off aid aims to force concessions from Hamas, which still holds dozens of Israeli hostages seized during the October 7, 2023, attack, per AFP.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy involves displacing Gaza's population to the south and holding more territory in Gaza to eradicate Hamas. This plan has drawn international condemnation, with the UN's rights chief denouncing the renewed attacks and apparent push to permanently displace the population. "We're looking at Gaza. And we're going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving," Trump said, acknowledging the dire humanitarian situation.
Meanwhile, growing differences between the US and Israeli governments are apparent. Although Trump expressed his desire to end the "brutal war" in Gaza and suggested establishing a "freedom zone" in the enclave, he did not visit Israel during his tour of the Middle East. "I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone," he said in Qatar.
The US also bypassed Israel twice in striking bilateral deals with regional militant groups - Hamas and Houthis. The former released an Israeli-American hostage last week and the latter have agreed to not fire at American ships in the Red Sea, although they pledge to continue fighting Israel.
However, dissent is growing within Israel's ranks, with thousands of reservists voicing frustration over the prolonged war. A group of Air Force veterans and retired officers have urged the government to prioritise a deal to bring the hostages home, even if it means halting the fighting, per a Times Of Israel report.
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