Israel has begun a major offensive to end the war in Gaza once and for all. Earlier this month, the Israeli government declared that if it was not able to come to an agreement with terrorist group in Hamas by the time President Donald Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East, it would launch Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” a military initiative that would see Israel take full control of the Gaza Strip after eradicating the terrorist threat.
In a post on X, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that its troops “have begun extensive ground operations throughout northern and southern Gaza.”
Over the past week, the IAF conducted a preliminary wave of strikes, striking over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout Gaza to disrupt enemy preparations and support ground operations. The IAF continues to provide consistent support to operating troops in Gaza.
Thus far, the troops eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites above and below ground, and are currently being deployed in key positions within Gaza.
The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorist organizations in Gaza as required, in order to defend Israeli civilians.
𝐈𝐃𝐅 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐳𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 “𝐆𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐬”
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 18, 2025
Over the past week, the IAF conducted a… pic.twitter.com/3qZq1ngMfH
⭕️ Northern Gaza Operation Recap:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 17, 2025
♦️ Eliminated dozens of terrorists
♦️Dismantled significant terrorist infrastructure
♦️Located and dismantled a strategic underground terrorist route approx. 2 km long
♦️Located several tunnel shafts, explosive devices, launchers, and… pic.twitter.com/s2CwmuXNHj
The operation began on Friday with the IDF carrying out multiple strikes aimed at achieving “operational control in the areas of Gaza.”
⭕️ The IDF has begun conducting extensive strikes and mobilizing troops to achieve operational control in the areas of Gaza, over the past day.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 16, 2025
This is part of preparations to expand operations and fulfill the objectives of the war — including the release of hostages and the…
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned about the planned operation earlier this month, saying the IDF would “act with great force” until Hamas is defeated. The strategy involves evacuating the entire population of the Gaza Strip to the southern part of the region until the fighting has concluded. Israel would then occupy Gaza permanently.
The planned operation is broken down into three phases. The first involves prepatory measures such as intelligence gathering, airstrikes, and a campaign to dismantle Hamas’ logistical networks. The second phase will see the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) begin evacuating Gaza’s civilian population to the south around the city of Rafah. This is meant to minimize the number of civilians caught in the crossfire.
Lastly, IDF ground forces will move into the region to wipe out the remaining Hamas forces and establish control over critical areas. After the IDF accomplishes this objective, it will maintain a prolonged presence in the captured territories to prevent the terrorist group from reforming, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is reportedly working on a plan to relocate one million Palestinian civilians to Libya. If the country agrees to accept the Palestinians, the White House could potentially release billions of dollars it froze over a decade ago.
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