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IDF troops in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces says it recently concluded the encirclement of Tel al-Sultan in Gaza. (IDF Video)
Israel’s war in Gaza resumed in full force last week after the collapse of a two-month ceasefire and a deadlock in negotiations over the release of the remaining hostages. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new wave of airstrikes, quickly followed by coordinated ground operations in three key areas: the Netzarim Corridor, Gaza’s northern coastline and the Rafah district in the south.
With expanded U.S. support and favorable shifts in the regional landscape, this next phase signals a significant evolution in Israel’s military objectives, from degrading Hamas’s battlefield capabilities to dismantling its ability to govern.
“We’ve been fighting them for 10 days,” said Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror (res.), former Israeli national security advisor. “All they’ve managed to do is fire seven rockets. That tells you how much damage we’ve inflicted already.”
ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA
IDF troops encircled Tel al-Sultan in Rafah, Gaza, as they dismantled terrorist infrastructure in the area. The IDF said the operation was to reinforce control and expand the security zone in southern Gaza. (IDF)
A senior Israeli security official told Fox News Digital: “We seized weapons caches, labs, and command centers. Hamas today is not functioning like an army. It’s a dangerous terror group, but it’s not what it was on October 7.”
According to Israeli data, most of Hamas’s senior command has been eliminated and only fragmented units remain.
“They’ve lost their experienced leadership,” the official said. “They’re operating in survival mode.”
This time, Israel is operating under dramatically improved conditions, both militarily and diplomatically.
“The strategic environment has changed,” Amidror told Fox News Digital. “Hezbollah is weaker, Iran is constrained, and the American administration is offering us true support. They’re not telling us where to bomb or how to fight.”
With fewer threats on other fronts and strong backing from the Trump administration, the IDF has broadened its scope to include Hamas’s political leadership.
“We’re not just degrading military capabilities anymore,” Amidror said. “We’re dismantling the structure that allowed Hamas to govern.”
During the pause in fighting, Hamas consolidated control over humanitarian aid, confiscating supplies, reselling goods and using them to recruit fighters and maintain loyalty. Israeli officials now say that won’t be allowed to continue.
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Hamas terrorists watch as hostages are released to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (TPS-IL)
“We are working to find a solution so that humanitarian aid reaches civilians and is not weaponized by Hamas,” the senior Israeli security official explained. He noted that Gaza currently has sufficient food reserves and that Israel is developing new delivery mechanisms that bypass Hamas entirely.
Fifty-nine Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity. Their continued detention has sparked nationwide protests, with families urging the government to prioritize a negotiated release. But the renewed fighting puts those hostages in greater danger.
“The only real limitation is the hostages,” Amidror acknowledged. “We want them alive, and fighting a war while trying to protect them is a huge challenge.”
Israel’s Channel 12 news’ chief political analyst, Amit Segal, reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country’s parliament that as long as Hamas doesn’t free the hostages, more pressure will be exerted on the terrorist group, including seizing land.
“My position is that first we have to get the hostages back, even if we need to commit to end the war and pull back to a security perimeter,” said Ram Ben Barak, former deputy head of Mossad and current Knesset member. “We can commit to that, but only if Hamas gives all the hostages back. If they don’t, that alone is a reason to go back to war. And even if Hamas does return them, we’ll be watching. If Hamas starts smuggling weapons again or training fighters, that, too, will be a reason to go in and hit them hard.”
Israeli soldiers sit on a tank in front of the northern Gaza Strip as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on March 18, 2025. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
The security official said military pressure is part of a coordinated effort to bring the hostages home.
“They released a group of hostages earlier than planned because of the pressure we applied in Netzarim when they refused to release Arbel Yehud,” he said.
Despite tactical gains, Israeli leaders know the war cannot eliminate Hamas’s ideology. The mission, they say, is to prevent it from ever ruling Gaza again.
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Israeli troops encircle Tel al-Sultan in Gaza. (IDF)
“We won’t go back to the days when we let them quietly build an army,” Ben Barak told Fox News Digital. “We’ll strike every time we see military training or arms smuggling. They’ll never have tanks or armored vehicles again.”
Ben Barak said Israel can’t remain in Gaza long-term: “If we stay like we did in Lebanon for 19 years, we’ll leave in shame. The only way to win is to have someone else replace Hamas and govern Gaza.”
He also pointed to the West Bank as a partial model: “In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority governs, and we operate from the perimeter when needed. We need the same in Gaza: an internationally backed civil authority that rebuilds the [Gaza] Strip and keeps Hamas out.”
Still, he cautioned against illusions of peace.
“There won’t be peace in the next 20 years. But like Egypt did with the Muslim Brotherhood, we can suppress Hamas’s ideology and stop it from taking root again.”
Ben Barak also said Gazans who wish to leave should be allowed to: “Let them out. If they have visas and want to go, Israel should let them. It will make military operations easier in a less densely populated area.”
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Israeli forces are now deeply embedded in Gaza, with simultaneous operations in the north, south and central regions.
“These aren’t symbolic moves,” Amidror said. “We’re positioning ourselves for the next stage. We will eventually need to reach every tunnel, blow up the infrastructure, and kill every Hamas terrorist. It is achievable, but it will take at least a year.”
Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.