In a video posted yesterday on his social media channels, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will “take definitive control of the entire Gaza Strip”: a statement consistent with the decision taken by the Israeli Security Cabinet on May 5, when the “indefinite” occupation of the Strip was authorized.

In this context—and to achieve this objective—last Friday (May 16), the IDF launched Operation GIDEON'S CHARIOTS. As already anticipated by FW Mag, the launch of the operation began immediately after the conclusion of President Trump's trip to the Middle East. The timing was far from coincidental: Netanyahu avoided any interference with Washington's “mission,” which focused on affairs with the wealthy Gulf monarchies, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Going into the details of the operation, in order to prepare the ground for the entry of ground forces – as planned – last week the Israeli Air Force conducted intensive airstrikes – mainly with fighter jets and helicopters, and employing drones for reconnaissance and surveillance – against approximately 670 targets throughout the Strip. In addition to 'clearing' the ground to facilitate the entry of men and vehicles, the raids also targeted Hamas' tactical, operational, and organizational infrastructure (or what remains of it), including command and storage centers, weapons depots, and rocket launch sites. At the moment, Israeli forces have entered the Strip from three points (from all three sectors: north, south, and center), presumably exploiting the buffer zone established along the entire border.

For the time being, it is still too early to accurately assess the scale and scope of the operation, as well as the time it will take Tel Aviv to achieve its stated goal: to destroy Hamas and maintain long-term control over the Strip. It should be remembered, in fact, that even after a year and a half of war – excluding the truce – Israel has never managed to completely eliminate Palestinian militant activity, even in areas that the IDF considered to be completely under its control.

Let's see what happens this time...

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