Israel’s Security Cabinet on Sunday night approved a plan to invade and occupy the Gaza Strip in an expanded ground operation.
The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, the second foreign trip of his second term.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the plan during a Q&A video on his X account, where he said conquered land will be retained, with reserve forces being stationed in seized areas, Jewish News Syndicate reported. Since the war began, the IDF has withdrawn from territory it previously seized, including large parts of northern Gaza.
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Netanyahu said military action would be intensified during the operation, and tens of thousands of IDF reservists are expected to be called up to help with the operation, according to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. The mobilization is reportedly one of the largest since the war began in October 2023.
“We decided on intensified action in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “That was the IDF chief of staff’s recommendation — to move, as he said, toward the defeat of Hamas. He believes this will also help us rescue the hostages. I agree with him.”
Netanyahu said the ground operation in Gaza will intensify following the Israeli government approving plans to seize the strip.
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Netanyahu added that the Israeli government will not give up on its effort to rescue the 59 remaining hostages.
According to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the IDF will not withdraw from any conquered land—even in the case of making a deal.
“This is a dramatic decision: Once the operation begins, there will be no withdrawal from land we conquer — not for any deal,” Smotrich said at the B’Sheva Jerusalem Conference on Monday, JNS reported. “The only way to free the hostages is to defeat Hamas. Any retreat would only invite the next Oct. 7.”
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Smotrich said Israelis should embrace the term “occupy” during this operation.
“We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip,” he said. “We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation.’”
He added that once Gaza is conquered and occupied, then sovereignty can be discussed
The plan includes relocating Gazans to other areas of the strip and distributing aid to civilians in areas that are free of Hamas.
Israel halted humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza in March, following accusations that the terror group was stealing and controlling the aid.
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Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar reportedly told Kan Reshet Bet radio that the goal is “complete control of the Gaza Strip.”
“This move does endanger the hostages — it doesn’t help them — but there is no other choice but to bring about a decisive outcome,” Zohar said. “Hamas may soon realize it has no choice but to return the captives and remove itself from Gaza.”
Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi called the plan’s approval a “brave first step toward total victory” in a post on X.
“We must destroy Hamas,” Karhi wrote. “We must hold the territory — not raids, but continuous and deep control.”
