Israel
IDF announces ‘extensive’ ground operation against Hamas in Gaza
Israeli soldiers are ‘taking control of strategic areas within the Strip’, the military said
May 19, 2025 09:16
Israeli soldiers are ‘taking control of strategic areas within the Strip’, the military said
May 19, 2025 09:16The IDF has launched ground operations against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, the military announced on Sunday afternoon.
"Over the past 24 hours, forces of the IDF's Southern Command, both regular and reserve, have started a large-scale ground operation across the northern and southern Gaza Strip as part of the beginning of 'Operation Gideon’s Chariots’," the army said.
"So far, the forces have eliminated dozens of terrorists, destroyed terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground, and are now taking control of strategic areas within the Strip," the IDF continued.
The military noted that over the past week, the Israeli Air Force had attacked more than 670 Hamas targets across the Strip in an attempt to "disrupt enemy preparations and support the ground operation".
Among the targets hit were weapons depots, terrorist operatives, tunnels and anti-tank launch positions, it said.
"The IDF will continue to operate against terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip as necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel," it added.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday alongside IDF Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and Brig-Gen. Sagiv Dahan, the commander of the army's 162nd "Steel Formation" Armored Division, according to the IDF.
"This past weekend, we launched 'Operation Gideon's Chariots'. We will continue until we dismantle the enemy's combat ability and achieve a decisive defeat wherever we operate," stated Zamir, per a readout.
"We cannot go back to the reality of October 7," Zamir said of the security strategy that prevailed in Israel before the massacre.
The IDF chief highlighted that the resumption of combat in the Strip served two goals: the return of the remaining 58 hostages being held in Gaza and the defeat of the Palestinian terror group.
"The IDF will provide flexibility to the political echelon to advance any hostage deal," Zamir declared in his remarks, adding: "A hostage deal is not a halt, it is an achievement. We are actively working towards it."
Jerusalem earlier on Sunday announced that it was pursuing a broader deal for ending the war, one that includes the release of all hostages, the expulsion of Hamas terrorists and the disarmament of the enclave.
The Israeli negotiating team in Doha is actively working to exhaust every opportunity to reach an agreement, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced. Talks are being conducted under multiple frameworks, including one proposed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff's deal reportedly envisions a multi-stage agreement, beginning with a temporary ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, followed by reciprocal steps such as the release of jailed Palestinian terrorists and further negotiations aimed at a permanent cessation of hostilities.
On Saturday morning, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz stated: "With the launch of 'Operation Gideon's Chariots' in Gaza, led with great force by IDF command, the Hamas delegation in Doha announced a return to negotiations on a hostage deal, contrary to the intransigent stance they had taken up until that moment."
He continued: "The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people, and the determination of the political leadership increase the chances of bringing back the hostages."
Fifty-eight hostages, living and dead, are believed to remain in Gaza, 590 days after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
The current military campaign will continue "as long as necessary" to neutralise Hamas’s remaining strongholds, military officials have said.