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2025 Gaza City offensive

(Redirected from Israeli plan to take control of Gaza City)

On 20 August 2025, as part of the Gaza war (2023–present), Israel announced it had formally begun the "first stages" of a military offensive aiming to seize control of Gaza City from Hamas,[1] referred to in plans as Operation Gideon's Chariots II[4][3][5] or Operation Gideon's Chariots B[6] (Hebrew: מבצע מרכבות גדעון ב').

2025 Gaza City offensive
Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war
October 2023 Gaza−Israel conflict.svg

  Gaza Strip under Hamas control
  Gaza Strip under Israeli control
  Furthest Israeli advance in the Gaza Strip
Date20 August 2025[a] – present
Location
Gaza City and Jabalia, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Status Preliminary operations or first stages of offensive underway, per Israel
Belligerents
Israel Hamas
Commanders and leaders
Israel Yaniv Asor
Israel Yehuda Fox		 Hamas Izz al-Din al-Haddad
Units involved
 Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades
Strength
Israel ~130,000 troops[3] Hamas Unknown

Current fighting in and around the city is intended to be superseded by a main Israeli offensive planned for mid-September 2025.[7] This plan was approved on 21 August by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated he was seeking to restart negotiations with Hamas in order to end the war on Israel's terms.[8]

The offensive is set to further intensify the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) having confirmed a famine in Gaza City on 22 August.[9] Furthermore, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz has announced plans to raze the entire city if Hamas does not surrender.[10]

Prelude

Background

The last large scale Israeli attack on Gaza City was a siege that lasted from November 2023 to January 2025. In April 2025, Israel began an offensive into Shuja'iyya, a neighborhood in the city's east.

Preparations

Ahead of the offensive, Israel announced plans to relocate Palestinian civilians in Gaza City to the southern Gaza Strip,[11] with the deadline for evacuation set for 7 October 2025,[12] and intensified bombardments on the Gaza City neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Sabra, Rimal, and Tuffah.[11]

On 18 August, the IDF advanced into Sabra, and laid siege to a school and a United Nations clinic.[13]

On 20 August, Katz approved the plans for the takeover of Gaza City, which was framed as a continuation or a second part of Operation Gideon's Chariots, which lasted from 16 May to 4 August 2025.[4] The IDF announced it would be calling up 60,000 reservists for the offensive.[14]

Ceasefire debate

A 60-day ceasefire plan presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediators on 17 August[15] was accepted by Hamas, and would halt the planned offensive if accepted by the Israeli side. Netanyahu has not responded publicly to the ceasefire proposal, and his far-right political allies have heavily pressured him to reject it.[16]

Offensive

20 August

IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated that Israel had "begun the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City" and that the IDF was presently holding positions on the city's outskirts.[1] Furthermore, an Israeli military official stated that the IDF would seek to breach areas of Gaza City where they had not previously operated in.[17]

21 August

Israel bombarded targets throughout Gaza City with Sabra and Shuja'iyya being shelled. The IDF reported they were operating in Zeitoun, the city's southernmost neighborhood, and in Jabalia, north of the city.[18]

22 August

Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades attacked and wounded an IDF soldier in Zeitoun.[19] Meanwhile, Israeli forces reached the central parts of Sabra.[20]

24 August

Israeli tanks advanced into the Saftawy neighborhood of Jabalia to take up positions adjacent to Jalaa Street, which separates western and eastern Gaza City.[20]

Humanitarian impact

Displacement of residents

Conflicting reports have emerged about the scale of civilian evacuations from Gaza City. Mustafa Qazzaat, head of the emergency committee in the Gaza municipality, described the situation as “catastrophic,” with “large numbers” fleeing eastern neighborhoods.[21] Associated Press journalists witnessed "small groups" heading south from the city in the week leading up to the offensive, but no large-scale evacuation.[22] The New Arab described a "unified" reaction from residents of Gaza City, with families choosing to remain in their homes due to feeling there was no safe place in all of the Gaza Strip.[5] The UN and international organizations tracking population movements reported thousands of people had fled the city.[18] Al-Monitor reported that fleeing residents were mostly heading towards the coast.[23]

According to Ahed Ferwana, a Gaza-based political analyst, Operation Gideon's Chariots II is not only a military maneuever but also a continuation of a strategy of demographic engineering by Israel that aims to create the conditions for permanent displacement of Gazans.[5]

Famine

On 22 August, the IPC confirmed that a famine was occurring in Gaza City, which could spread south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis by September. Israel disputed the report.[9]

Reactions

Countries

  •   Australia: Foreign minister Penny Wong said the plan would worsen the Gaza humanitarian crisis and constitute a violation of international law, calling for a ceasefire, the return of Israeli hostages, the entry of aid, and a two-state solution.[12]
  •   Germany: Germany announced that it would stop exporting military equipment to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip.[24]
  •   Saudi Arabia,   Jordan, and   Turkey: These countries condemned the planned offensive.[24]
  •   Spain,   Ireland,   Iceland,   Luxembourg,   Malta,   Norway,   Portugal, and   Slovenia: These countries issued a joint letter condemning the planned offensive, stating it would deepen the humanitarian crisis and endanger the lives of Israeli hostages. The letter also called for a ceasefire and two-state solution.[25]
  •   United Kingdom: James Kariuki, the British deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, stated the planned offensive was "not a path to resolution" and instead "a path to more bloodshed."[24]
  •   United States: President Donald Trump supported Israel's Gaza offensive plan[26] and called for Hamas to be "confronted and destroyed" as soon as possible.[27] Dorothy Shea, the American interim ambassador to the UN, said that "Israel has a right to decide what is necessary for its security, and what measures are appropriate to end the threat posed by Hamas and other similar groups."[24]

Palestinian factions

  •   Hamas and  Palestinian Islamic Jihad: On 17 August, it was reported that the militant groups were considering a plan to transfer Israeli hostages to Gaza City in order to deter the offensive.[28][29] According to Netanyahu, Hamas' acceptance of a ceasefire proposal shows that the group is under "immense pressure".[15] Following the start of the offensive on 20 August, Hamas released a statement condemning it as "a blatant disregard for the efforts made by the mediators”, referring to the ceasefire proposal by Egypt and Qatar.[21] Hamas also called Katz' comments about razing Gaza City "a confession of committing a crime that amounts to ethnic cleansing" and stated it would not disarm without the creation of an independent Palestinian state.[10]
  •   Palestinian Authority: President Mahmoud Abbas called Israel's decision a "complete crime that represents a continuation of the policy of genocide, systematic killing, starvation and siege, and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and U.N. resolutions."[24]

Within Israel

  •   Israeli protestors: Tens of thousands of Israeli protestors began demonstrating against the plans, and believe they endanger the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated on Twitter that "expanding the fighting endangers the hostages and the soldiers — the people of Israel are not willing to risk them!"[24]
  •   Israeli opposition: Yair Lapid said that the planned offensive was a far-right plot that would be a disaster for the IDF and Israel and cause the deaths of the remaining hostages. Yair Golan, leader of The Democrats, called the plan a “death sentence to hostages and more bereaved families.”[12]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ On 20 August, the IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin announced the start of "the preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City".[1] The IDF had nonetheless already been operating within parts of the city prior to the announcement, having launched an offensive into the Shuja'iyya neighborhood since 4 April and an incursion into the Sabra neighborhood since 18 August.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation to seize Gaza City". France 24. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b Levaton, Stav (27 August 2025). "IDF says troops continuing operations on Gaza City outskirts ahead of planned wider offensive". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b Zitun, Yoav (20 August 2025). "IDF announces immediate mobilization of 60,000 reservists ahead of Gaza City offensive". Ynetnews. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Defense Minister Israel Katz approves Gaza City takeover". The Jerusalem Post. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Gaza City's residents defy Israel's 'Gideon's Chariots 2' attack". The New Arab. 20 August 2025.
  6. ^ "60,000 reservists called up amid Operation Gideon's Chariots B". i24NEWS. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Gaza City offensive to commence in mid-September, hostage-ceasefire talks to resume next week — report". The Times of Israel. 22 August 2025. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Benjamin Netanyahu approves Gaza City op., will start hostage talks". The Jerusalem Post. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b "For the first time, the world's food crises authority announces a famine in Gaza". AP News. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Israeli defense minister warns of Gaza City's destruction unless Hamas yields to his country's terms". PBS News. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Israel intensifies Gaza City attacks, forcing starving Palestinians to flee". Al Jazeera. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Live updates: Israel's security cabinet approves Netanyahu plan to occupy Gaza City". CNN. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  13. ^ Zitun, Yoav; Ari, Lior Ben; Yehoshua, Yossi (19 August 2025). "Israeli tanks enter Gaza City outskirts amid reports Hamas accepted ceasefire proposal". Ynetnews. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Israel calls up 60,000 reservists ahead of Gaza City offensive". BBC. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Hamas says it has agreed to new ceasefire proposal as mediators push to renew talks". CNN. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Preparations for a Move on Gaza City Have Started, Israel's Military Says". The New York Times. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Israel to expand siege of Gaza City, defying ceasefire calls". The New Arab. 21 August 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Israel pounds neighborhoods as operation to take Gaza City underway". The Washington Post. 21 August 2025. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Palestinian groups report attacks on Israeli ground forces in Gaza". Al Jazeera. 22 August 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Israeli tanks advance to northern Gaza City after Netanyahu approves takeover". Mada Masr. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Hamas says Israel's plan to conquer Gaza shows 'blatant disregard' for peace". Al Arabiya English. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  22. ^ "Israel will call up 60,000 reservists as it plans a new phase of war in Gaza". NPR. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  23. ^ "Israel increases bombardment of Gaza City, kills 16 people around the enclave - medics say". Al-Monitor. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Hernandez, Joe (10 August 2025). "Netanyahu defends Israel's plan to seize Gaza City, despite global condemnation". NPR. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  25. ^ "Ireland pens letter with other European countries in condemning Israel's Gaza plan". Government of Ireland. 10 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  26. ^ "US tacitly supports Israel's plan to take control of Gaza Strip". 8 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  27. ^ "Trump: Hostages will only be released 'when Hamas is confronted and destroyed'". The Times of Israel. 18 August 2025. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  28. ^ "Hostage move to Gaza City considered by Hamas, PIJ". The Jerusalem Post. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  29. ^ Halabi, Einav; Eichner, Itamar (17 August 2025). "Terror groups plan to transfer living hostages to Gaza City, report says, linking their fate to IDF operation". Ynetnews. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
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