Israel has launched a extensive ground operation and will take control of all of Gaza
Israel launched a extensive ground operation in Gaza on Sunday, in addition to an intensive air campaign that, according to the territory's health authorities, left more than 100 dead overnight and closed the last functioning hospital in the northern part of the enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that "the fighting is intense, massive, and will engulf the entire Gaza Strip."
The Israeli ground operation in northern and southern Gaza comes as international mediators push for progress in ceasefire negotiations.
Hamas and Israel held indirect talks on Saturday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. A senior Hamas official, Taher Al-Nunu, confirmed that negotiations had begun without preconditions, according to Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV.
While there is some optimism surrounding the talks, a breakthrough seems uncertain. On Sunday, Israel expressed its willingness to end the war in Gaza if Hamas surrenders, a proposal the militant group is unlikely to accept. Hamas has declared that it will release all Israeli hostages if there are guarantees that Israel will end the war. "If Hamas wants to talk about ending the war through surrender, we will be ready," an Israeli source stated
On Sunday morning, a senior Hamas official said the group had agreed to release seven to nine Israeli hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 300 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hours later, another senior Hamas leader, Sami Abu Zuhri, denied and contradicted the proposal, issuing a statement on the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV Telegram channel: "There is no truth to the rumors about the movement's agreement to release nine Israeli prisoners in exchange for a two-month ceasefire."
"We are prepared to release all prisoners immediately, provided the occupation commits to a cessation of hostilities under international guarantees, and we will not hand over occupation prisoners as long as it insists on continuing its aggression against Gaza indefinitely," he added.
Israeli forces claimed that their new military campaign, dubbed "Gideon's Chariots" after a biblical warrior and announced Friday night, has brought Hamas back to the negotiating table. And due to an "operational necessity," the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Sunday that the country will allow a "basic amount of food" into Gaza to prevent a hunger crisis in the enclave, which Israel says would jeopardize the operation.
The campaign was launched "to achieve all the objectives of the war in Gaza, including the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement
"During the operation, we will increase and expand our operational control of Gaza, including territorial segmentation and population displacement for protection in all areas where we operate," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin said Sunday. However, analysts and officials say it is more likely that Hamas agreed to resume talks following US President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East.
"Following talks between Qatar and the United States during President Trump's visit to Doha, mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt will redouble their efforts to see if a new ceasefire agreement can be reached," said an official with knowledge of the talks.
Last week, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli negotiating team to travel to Qatar for talks, but made clear that he is only committed to negotiating a proposal put forward by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which calls for the release of half of the hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. This proposal does not guarantee the end of the war.
Trump was in Doha on Wednesday as part of a Middle East trip that did not include Israel. Trump declared this month that he wanted to end the "brutal war" in Gaza. He also ignored Israel twice this month when reaching bilateral agreements with regional militant groups.
Hamas freed an Israeli-American hostage last week, and Yemen's Houthis agreed to stop firing on US ships in the Red Sea, while pledging to continue fighting Israel. Trump, however, denied that Israel had been marginalized. "This is good for Israel," he asserted. However, on Thursday, he claimed he wanted the United States to "take over" Gaza and turn it into a "freedom zone."
"I have ideas for Gaza that I think are very good: allowing the United States to intervene and simply making it a free zone," Trump said from Qatar. During his visit to the Gulf, Trump also acknowledged that people are starving in Gaza and stated that the United States will address the situation there.
Entire families killed by Israeli bombings
Meanwhile, the UN and major humanitarian aid organizations are warning about the new Israeli offensive in Gaza, stating that civilians are the most affected. More than 300 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured following an intensification of intense Israeli airstrikes since Thursday, according to a tally based on data from the Palestinian Health Ministry this week
In the Al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza, a baby, his two younger siblings, and their parents, living in a displacement camp, died on Saturday, said Dr. Munir al-Barsh, director of the Ministry of Health. As the bombing continues and the death toll rises, Gaza's health system is increasingly on the verge of collapse.
Over the past week, Israeli forces have carried out attacks near several hospitals in the enclave, including the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya, the last functioning medical facility in northern Gaza, rendering it out of service.
Hospital director Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan said Friday that "extremely intense explosions" occurred around the hospital, severing the ventilator connections some of his patients need to survive. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has previously accused Hamas of hiding in medical facilities.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Sunday that "all public hospitals in northern Gaza are out of service."
Famine in Gaza
Before Israel announced Sunday that it would allow a basic food supply to Gaza, the UN warned that the enclave's entire population of more than 2.1 million people faces the risk of famine after 19 months of conflict and mass displacement, exacerbated by Israel's 11-week aid blockade
The Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), a US-backed organization tasked with delivering aid to the enclave, welcomed Israel's announcement that it would allow food aid into Gaza as a "transitional mechanism" until the group is fully operational.
In a statement, group chief executive Jake Wood said: "Today's announcement marks a significant step forward. We expect FGH's new support mechanism, which includes the establishment of four initial Safe Distribution Points, to be operational before the end of the month."
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the Prime Minister's Office's decision on the aid a "grave mistake," stating that any aid entering Gaza "would undoubtedly strengthen Hamas."
The death toll from the Israeli offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attacks has now exceeded 53,000, the majority of whom are women and children, the Health Ministry reported Thursday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that its new offensive in Gaza is being carried out "in full coordination" with the Missing Hostages and Families Forum, and that the IDF is working to prevent harm to the remaining hostages. However, the forum has condemned the operation, stating that it would endanger those still held captive in the enclave.