The Gaza conflict, now well into its one year and eighth month since the outbreak of war after October 7 raids by Hamas in 2023, has entered a critical juncture. With Israel announcing a new phase of “extensive ground operations” in Gaza — just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly signalled openness to a comprehensive deal with Hamas — the apparent paradox of simultaneous escalation and negotiation is drawing global attention.
The escalation: Operation Gideon’s Chariots
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced the initiation of a major new ground offensive in both the northern and southern parts of Gaza under the campaign named Operation Gideon’s Chariots. The operation involves five IDF divisions currently deployed within the enclave reflecting the largest surge of Israeli ground troops in Gaza since the early stages of the war.
IDF chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir made it clear that the main goal is still to weaken the enemy and dismantle its networks in every area of operation. However, he also stressed the need to stay flexible on the battlefield in order to avoid disrupting the ongoing hostage talks taking place in Qatar.
The renewed offensive reportedly includes aerial bombardments — over 670 Hamas targets were struck over the past week — as well as a land invasion targeting key Hamas positions. Israeli officials state that the operation aims not only to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities but also to assert control over aid distribution routes and strategically relocate civilians from northern to southern Gaza.
Despite the tactical successes claimed by the IDF, including further destruction to Hamas infrastructure, the humanitarian toll is devastating. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that all public hospitals in northern Gaza were “out of service,” with patients being forcibly evacuated from facilities such as the Indonesian Hospital amid active fire.
The diplomatic front
Remarkably, the intensified offensive has not curtailed, but rather coexisted with, active diplomatic negotiations. Only hours before launching the new military phase, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel is considering a broader deal with Hamas that would include not just a temporary ceasefire but possibly a full end to hostilities.
Netanyahu’s office said that even at that moment, the negotiation team in Doha was working hard to explore every possible way to reach a deal — either based on the Witkoff framework or as part of a plan to end the fighting. This plan would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas fighters and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip. This statement marked a shift from Israel’s previously rigid position that insisted only on short-term pauses in fighting.
