Israel greenlights ‘Gideon’s Chariots II’ operation to occupy Gaza City

CAIRO – 20 August 2025: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has approved a military operation aimed at capturing Gaza City, according to Israeli media reports on Wednesday.

The operation plan was recently presented to Katz by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II,” the operation is a continuation of the original “Gideon’s Chariots” campaign launched in May, which sought to occupy the majority of the Gaza Strip.

Gaza City, located in the northern part of the enclave and currently home to around one million people, has been heavily targeted by Israeli airstrikes since the war began in October 2023.

To support the new offensive, the Israeli army has issued around 60,000 call-up notices to reservists, The Times of Israel reported.

In parallel with military preparations, the defense minister has authorized logistical and humanitarian measures to accomodate Palestinian civilians expected to flee from Gaza City.

Israeli forces announced this week preparing to relocate civilians in Gaza toward the south ahead of the operation and resuming the supply of tents and shelter equipment for Gaza residents via the Karm Abu Salem crossing.

 

Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved the five-point operation to seize Gaza City and assert Israeli “security control” over the entire Strip.

The plan also includes disarming Hamas, securing the release of all captives still held by the group, fully demilitarizing Gaza, and establishing a new civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

Israel’s intentions to reoccupy Gaza have sparked strong condemnation across the Arab world and among key international partners, including some of its closest Western allies.

The European Union, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have jointly criticized the move.

Germany, in response, has suspended all arms exports to Israel.

The announcement has also ignited protests both inside Israel and globally.

The planned offensive coincides with ongoing ceasefire efforts. Hamas has accepted the latest proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, while Israel said it will deliver its response to mediators, which also include the United States, by Friday.

 

In more than 22 months of war, Israel has killed over 62,000 people, including nearly 2,000 individuals seeking humanitarian aid, and injured more than 156,500, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

'Famine Unfolding'

The escalation has raised grave concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation. The war has displaced most of the population of Gaza and brought the territory to the brink of famine, with dozens of deaths already linked to starvation.

A joint statement released last week by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), signed by 21 European countries along with Canada, Australia, and Japan, warned that “the humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels.”

“Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,” the statement read.

Gaza’s Health Ministry also reported that 251 people, 108 of them children, have died from starvation and malnutrition. Israel has imposed heavy restrictions on aid deliveries, which amounted to full blockade for nearly three months earlier this year.