The Israeli military announced that it has launched large-scale attacks and mobilized troops to seize control of areas in the Gaza Strip, as part of the preparation for Operation Gideon's Tanks and the expansion of the campaign in the Strip. According to an IDF spokesperson, the operation aims to achieve all the objectives of the war in Gaza, including the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas. At least 115 Palestinians were killed as a result of the new attack, with the total number of victims rising to 370 since last Sunday.
Palestinian media reported that Israeli armored military vehicles are advancing southeast of Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, under heavy covering fire . Israeli army (IDF) artillery fire is targeting the areas of Abu Holi, Abu al-Ajin and al-Jafarawi east of Deir el-Balah. Heavy explosions were also heard in the al-Qarara area of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Gaza's media and social media in the past few hours had reported powerful explosions in the northern part of the Strip, caused by heavy IDF fire. "The Israeli army is bombing residential buildings," the alarm was raised. The dramatic announcement by the IDF on the start of the new offensive came after the end of US President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, while in Doha negotiations on a truce in the enclave and the release of hostages have made no progress . Israeli mediators will remain in Qatar over the weekend.
According to a security source, the IDF's airstrikes in Gaza this evening are "a final step before the actual Gideon's Tanks operation and a warning to Hamas: a final opportunity to reach an agreement before a dramatic expansion of the fighting," Channel 12 reported. According to the same source, the attack is intended to "intervene in the area before the troops enter" and will continue in the coming hours. Operation Gideon's Tanks, whose objective is to defeat Hamas in Gaza and free the hostages, was approved by the Israeli political-security cabinet in early May, in accordance with the plans formulated by the chief of staff .
(Online Union)