JC Israel Briefing Day 591: IDF launches fresh ground offensive in Gaza

The decision followed warnings from the IDF and Israel’s military liaison, who said food reserves were exhausted. Officials said the goal is to avoid a famine crisis that could “endanger the continued operation to defeat Hamas.” Deliveries will be monitored to prevent diversion to militants. Hawkish politicians are branding it a capitulation under pressure and a strategic collapse.

Israeli special forces, reportedly dressed as women, have killed two senior militant commanders during a raid in central Khan Younis on Monday. Ahmad Sarhan of the Popular Resistance Committees and Mahdi Kawara, a Hamas battalion commander, were shot and killed during the strike. Sarhan’s wife and children were detained.

Al-Mayadeen claimed the operation aimed to reach hostages but failed, however Israel has suggested there was no attempted rescue. Palestinian sources said Israeli helicopters fired on the area and communications were disrupted citywide.

Defence Minister Israel Katz told the Knesset that intelligence indicates Hamas’s Gaza military leader, Muhammad Sinwar, was likely killed in a tunnel strike. Saudi outlet Al Hadath reported that Sinwar’s body, along with ten aides, was recovered. Israel has not formally confirmed the report and said verification is ongoing.

Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a new IDF offensive, is now underway. Five IDF divisions have advanced across northern and southern sectors. The military said the objective is to dismantle Hamas infrastructure, eliminate surviving commanders, and carve Gaza into controlled zones to block reconstitution of militant forces.

The IDF said dozens of Hamas fighters were killed and tunnels destroyed in the opening phase. The ground operation followed seven days of airstrikes on 670 Hamas targets, including weapons depots, tunnel shafts, and anti-tank units. Commanders said the campaign was intended to erode defences ahead of troop movement.

Meanwhile, White House envoy Steve Witkoff has delivered a new proposal for a hostage deal and is pressing both parties to accept it. Israeli and US sources cited in reports say it includes a 45–60 day truce, the release of 10 hostages, and a prisoner exchange. It also reportedly includes language linking the deal to broader war-ending commitments.

US officials say the current offer would exchange 9–10 hostages for a two-month ceasefire. Hamas has not confirmed this. According to reports, the group is demanding clear guarantees that any temporary truce will lead to permanent cessation. Hamas has denied agreement and says the new terms lack binding enforcement.

Israeli sources cited in Axios and Haaretz say formal negotiations in Doha are a “facade.” Talks are reportedly being conducted through backchannels between Witkoff, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Ron Dermer. This route previously secured the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, according to sources briefed on the communication channel.

Israel’s cabinet advanced legislation that would bar Qatar from mediating future negotiations by labelling it a “terror-supporting state.” The bill, proposed by Likud lawmakers, follows internal accusations that Qatar is prolonging talks to Hamas’s advantage. If passed, it would ban any such state from acting as a broker without special approval.

Elsewhere, two rockets were fired from Gaza toward the southern Israeli community of Kissufim, the IDF said. One was intercepted and the other landed in open terrain. Sirens were triggered in surrounding areas. The incident came as ceasefire discussions continued and Israel expanded its ground presence across the central corridor.

In other news, Shin Bet announced the arrest of an Israeli teenager accused of spying for Iran. Investigators say the suspect filmed former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a hospital stay and attempted further operations under direction from Iranian handlers. The suspect allegedly used encrypted messaging apps and received tasking through a remote channel.

Finally, Mossad has recovered more than 2,500 personal items belonging to executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen. Retrieved from Syria, the archive includes clothing, letters, and operational materials. The operation was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Cohen’s 1965 hanging in Damascus. Israeli officials called the recovery a “historic act of closure.”

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