Israel Launches Major Gaza Offensive to Pressure Hamas

Israel has launched a major military operation in the Gaza Strip aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining hostages, the defence minister said on Saturday, following days of intensified airstrikes that have killed hundreds.

Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that the new campaign, named Operation Gideon Chariots, is being carried out with “great force” by Israeli forces.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier vowed to increase pressure on Hamas in an effort to dismantle the group, which has ruled Gaza for nearly 20 years.

The operation began shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his visit to the region without stopping in Israel. There had been hopes that the trip might pave the way for a ceasefire or allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, where aid deliveries have been restricted for over two months.

Negotiations in Doha between Israel and Hamas remain stalled. Hamas, which released an Israeli-American hostage before Trump’s visit as a goodwill gesture, is demanding a ceasefire agreement that would ultimately end the war. Israel has rejected this condition.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that over 150 people have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours. Since Israel resumed its offensive following the collapse of a ceasefire on 18 March, nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the territory.

Of the hostages believed to remain in Gaza, Israel estimates that 23 may still be alive, though officials are increasingly concerned about the fate of at least three of them.

The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, including many women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.