IDF troops have advanced into both the northern and southern areas of the enclave as part of Operation Gideon’s Chariots
Israel launched a large-scale ground campaign in Gaza on Sunday following a wave of overnight airstrikes that killed more than 100 people, according to local health officials.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had begun “extensive ground operations” across both the northern and southern parts of the enclave, even as negotiations over a possible ceasefire and hostage release continue in Qatar.
In a statement on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the negotiation team in Doha is “working to exhaust every possibility for a deal,” but emphasized that any potential agreement must include the release of all hostages, the expulsion of Hamas members from Gaza, and the full disarmament of the territory.
Since the collapse of a two-month ceasefire in March, mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the US have failed to achieve a breakthrough. Netanyahu has insisted that the war will not end without Hamas’ complete defeat, while the militant organization has rejected any conditions requiring disarmament.
The IDF reported that over the past week the Israeli Air Force struck more than 670 Hamas targets. According to hospitals and medical sources in Gaza, more than 100 people were killed in the airstrikes overnight and into Sunday, bringing the week’s death toll to over 400, The Times of Israel reported.
Israel blames the civilian casualties on Hamas, citing the group’s use of densely populated areas for military operations.
Medical officials in Gaza say hospitals are struggling to cope with the rising number of wounded. “Hospitals are overwhelmed by the growing number of casualties – many of them children – and are facing severe shortages of medical supplies,” according to Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Khalil al-Deqran.
The latest IDF operations have also forced the closure of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, leaving the area without functioning medical facilities.
Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported that more than 3,000 people have been killed since March.
Israeli officials say the operation, dubbed Gideon’s Chariots, aims to seize and hold strategic areas of Gaza, dismantle Hamas’ military and governing networks, and prevent the group from intercepting humanitarian aid. The plan also includes relocating civilians from northern to southern Gaza to separate them from conflict zones and Hamas infrastructure.
Since the breakdown of the ceasefire, Israel has halted all humanitarian aid – including food, fuel, and medical supplies – to pressure Hamas.
Speaking at an Arab League summit in Baghdad on Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “alarmed” by the escalating violence and called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. UN agencies warn of severe shortages of essentials across the territory.
The current escalation began in October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting around 250. An estimated 58 hostages remain in Gaza.
