Israel has launched a sweeping military operation in Gaza, stepping up efforts to defeat Hamas and free the remaining hostages still held in the territory.
According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the campaign, named Operation Gideon’s Chariots, aims to take control of strategic locations across Gaza. The military says the goal is to ensure Hamas is no longer a threat and to secure the safe return of Israeli hostages.
In the past 24 hours alone, Israel reported hitting over 150 Hamas-linked targets. But the human cost is staggering. Gaza’s civil defense, which is run by Hamas, claims that Israeli strikes have killed around 250 people since Thursday. Reuters also reports at least 58 deaths in just one night of air raids, based on figures from local authorities.
As the military offensive intensifies, Israel has imposed a strict aid blockade on Gaza. This comes after a brief two-month ceasefire broke down in March. The situation on the ground is growing more desperate by the day.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Friday that “a lot of people were starving” in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military, while silent on the operation’s name in English communications, made it clear: their campaign won’t stop until Hamas is neutralized and every hostage is back home.
Thousands of Israeli troops, including reservists, are expected to join the offensive in the coming days. The Times of Israel reports that the military will also attempt to relocate civilians to the southern part of Gaza — a move aid groups say is nearly impossible, given the massive displacement already caused by months of fighting.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed plans for a more aggressive push into Gaza. However, the full operation was delayed until President Trump wrapped up a Middle East visit, which ended on Friday.
As the tanks line up near the border, fears are growing across the international community. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has condemned the strikes, warning that the destruction, forced evacuations, and humanitarian blockade could amount to ethnic cleansing.
“This latest wave of bombings, along with the destruction of entire neighborhoods and the denial of aid, looks like an attempt to permanently reshape the population of Gaza,” he said.
From inside the crisis zone, voices of distress are growing louder. Dr. Victoria Rose, a British reconstructive surgeon working in Khan Younis, told the BBC that her team at Nasser hospital is physically and emotionally exhausted.
“We’ve all lost a lot of weight,” she said. “The children are incredibly thin. Some have lost their teeth. Many have serious burns, and with malnutrition, their bodies just can’t heal.”
A UN-backed report this week warned that Gaza’s population is now facing critical levels of famine. Despite this, Israeli authorities continue to deny that a food shortage exists.
This latest escalation follows the deadly Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. According to Gaza’s health ministry — controlled by Hamas — more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since then.
While faint hopes remain for a renewed ceasefire through indirect talks in Qatar, the outlook is grim as the region braces for more violence.