Israel has launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Saturday. The operation, named “Operation Gideon Chariots,” follows several days of intensive airstrikes that have killed hundreds of Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Katz stated that the operation is being conducted “with great force” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as the Israeli government seeks to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing infrastructure in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier vowed to escalate military efforts until Hamas is “defeated.”
The launch of the operation coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump’s return from his Middle East trip, which notably did not include a stop in Israel. Hopes had been high that Trump’s visit might advance ceasefire negotiations or facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, which has been severely restricted in Gaza for over two months.
Despite mediation efforts in Doha, Qatar, peace talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled. Hamas recently released an Israeli-American hostage as a goodwill gesture ahead of Trump’s visit but continues to demand a comprehensive ceasefire agreement — a condition Israel firmly rejects.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 150 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours alone, with nearly 3,000 casualties reported since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, breaking a previous ceasefire. The ongoing war, which erupted on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel — killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others — has now killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. These figures, provided by Gaza’s Health Ministry, do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Israel believes that 23 hostages are still alive in Gaza, though the fate of at least three is uncertain.
As the operation intensifies, international concern continues to mount over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. With aid deliveries blocked and infrastructure devastated, pressure is increasing on both Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table.
Sources By Agencies
