An Israeli military representative has released updated figures and insights on the current campaign in Gaza, dubbed Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” which builds on the IDF’s ongoing operations over the last 18 months.
According to the information provided, the Israel Defense Forces are on track to gain complete tactical control over roughly three-quarters of the Gaza Strip within the next two months. At present, they have secured just over 40% of the region.
Since combat resumed following the conclusion of a temporary truce, Israeli forces have targeted 2,900 locations and neutralized upwards of 800 militants. Among those killed are more than 50 individuals identified as high-value assets or specialists, including 11 top-level Hamas officials, 10 battalion or deputy battalion leaders, 18 commanders at the company level, and 12 individuals involved in Hamas’ military development efforts. Additionally, two members of Hamas’ military intelligence unit were eliminated.
Operation “Gideon’s Chariots” follows directly from the earlier campaign known as Operation “Firm Hand,” which began two months ago. That earlier mission led to the deaths of hundreds of terrorists, the division of Gaza into separate zones, and control over the Morag corridor. The IDF also secured the Rafah region, expanded buffer areas, and destroyed Hamas facilities across both the north and south of Gaza. The broader strategy focuses on a deep analysis of Hamas and the evolution of tactics to decisively defeat the group.
“We are moving toward decisive victory. The lives of the hostages are constantly on the minds of IDF soldiers and commanders. The IDF is doing everything possible to avoid harming them. Continued military pressure is a key factor in toppling Hamas and bringing the hostages home. The two goals are interconnected. Defeating Hamas supports hostage recovery,” said a senior military official.
The army now believes that Hamas has been significantly debilitated. The group is reportedly under extreme duress within Gaza, its leadership ranks devastated, and its ability to govern sharply diminished. Many of its top figures have been killed, and internal dysfunction is growing.
This, military officials say, is leading to visible “cracks in the identity, reverence, and dependence of the Palestinian population on Hamas.” Still, core elements of Hamas’ brigades remain active and capable of functioning.
The IDF is implementing a revised strategy centered on territorial control, focusing on “creating new opportunities, adapting tactics, and examining the shifting reality.” Under this approach, troops aim to dismantle all terrorist infrastructure across Gaza and hold ground to prevent any future resurgence of Hamas.
This evolving doctrine, the military states, is “collapsing Hamas from within,” by breaking down its combat power, undermining its authority, and weakening the population’s faith in the group’s leadership.
{Matzav.com}