Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday directed the Israel Defense Forces to maintain intensified operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, aiming to decisively defeat the Palestinian terrorist organization. “On the eve of Shavuot, the IDF is operating in Gaza with great force, crushing the enemy and clearing a path for maneuvering troops,” Katz said. He added that he had instructed the military to press ahead with its campaign “against all targets, regardless of any negotiations,” and to use “every means necessary—air, land and sea—to protect IDF soldiers and eliminate Hamas murderers. “Those who massacred and fought against us will pay the full price,” Katz continued. “As I’ve stated before: Either Hamas releases the hostages, or it will be destroyed.” The warning came after U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff confirmed on Saturday night that Hamas had effectively rejected the latest American ceasefire proposal. https://worldisraelnews.com/katz-either-hamas-releases-the-hostages-or-it-will-be-destroyed/ Three and a half months after the IDF presented its plan for the next stage of the Gaza War – Operation Gideon’s Chariots – the government on Sunday approved the start of large-scale ground maneuvers, with five divisions operating inside the Gaza Strip. The launch of such a large-scale operation marks the first time since January that the Israel Defense Forces have deployed this many divisions, coinciding with the hostage-ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hamas through the efforts of U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. The IDF's Operation Gideon’s Chariots is aimed at defeating the military wing of Hamas and destroying its political rule over Gaza. On Sunday evening, the IDF spokesperson revealed that the military expects to achieve full operational control of about 75% of the Gaza Strip within the next two months. As of today, the IDF estimates it has full operational control of around 40% of the area. Since the ceasefire negotiations collapsed in early March, the IDF has struck over 2,900 targets and eliminated over 800 terrorists in Gaza, of which more than 50 were senior officials of Hamas or other Palestinian terror groups. The spokesperson also said that two Hamas intelligence centers were destroyed in the operations. Unlike the IDF’s earlier strategy of conducting raids to eliminate as many Hamas fighters as possible, the new approach focuses on capturing and holding territory while systematically dismantling Hamas infrastructure to prevent its future use. “Hamas is under immense pressure – it has lost most of its assets and its command and control,” Zamir noted. “We will deploy every tool at our disposal to bring the hostages home, dismantle Hamas, and dismantle its rule.” The Washington Post retracted a story Tuesday that repeated fake news, disseminated by Hamas, claiming that Israeli troops had opened fire on Palestinians seeking food from an American-run aid site in Gaza. As Breitbart News noted, many mainstream media outlets simply ran claims by Hamas... The GHF effort circumvents the United Nations (UN) and hence Hamas, which relies on stealing UN aid shipments to resupply its terrorists and to profit by forcing desperate Palestinians to pay for “free” aid. After GHF and the Israeli military both denied that any such shooting took place, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee demanded that mainstream media outlets retract their false reporting about the alleged incident. The Post responded by taking down a post on X and correcting an article that included the false claims: The Jerusalem Post commented: “Although the original article included statements from Israel, including an initial inquiry indicating IDF soldiers did not fire at civilians at the aid centers, the newspaper admitted it didn’t “give proper weight to Israel’s denial and gave improper certitude about what was known about any Israeli role in the shootings.” President Donald Trump is shaking Hamas’s grip on power in Gaza in a way that not even the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) could do — not through weapons, but through free aid, provided directly to Palestinian civilians. The U.S.-backed, non-profit Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is circumventing the corrupt United Nations (UN) and providing boxed meals to Palestinians at several aid sites throughout southern Gaza. Hamas, the UN, the mainstream media, and established international aid organizations are crying foul — not because GHF is doing anything wrong, but because it is undermining the terrorists’ grip on power in Gaza. The UN, whose agencies have long been infiltrated by Hamas, often fails to pick up truckloads of aid that Israel admits into Gaza. Hamas steals the aid, keeping some for itself and selling the rest at inflated prices. The result is that Palestinian suffering in Gaza is exacerbated — not by Israel, but by the UN and Hamas — and Hamas is further entrenched in power, raking in millions and cementing its control over the population. The GHF is challenging all of that. It makes sure that aid supplies reach their distribution points; it provides the aid to Palestinians for free; and it denies Hamas and the UN any opportunity for profits or kickbacks. Hence the outcry — and the fake news. Every day this week, Hamas has pushed false claims of Israel killing Palestinians who come to aid sites. These stories are dutifully repeated, without checking, by Western media.
Katz: ‘Either Hamas releases the hostages, or it will be destroyed’
IDF expects to achieve ‘full operational control’ over 75% of Gaza Strip within 2 months:
Washington Post Retracts Fake News Story About Deaths at Gaza Aid Site:
Pollak: Trump’s Deadliest Weapon Against Hamas Is Free Aid, Directly to Palestinians, Without UN:
