Gaza IDF squad
The Israeli Defense Forces say they have recently concluded the siege of Tel al-Sultan in Gaza. (IDF video)
Israeli war in Gaza resumed entirely last week after a two-month ceasefire collapse and a deadlock in negotiations over the release of the remaining hostages. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) launched a new wave of airstrikes and soon carried out coordinated ground operations in three important regions. It is the Netzarim Corridor, the North Coastline of Gaza and the Rafa district to the south.
With expanding US support and positive changes in the local landscape, this next stage illustrates the important evolution of Israel's military goals, from reducing Hamas' battlefield capabilities to dismantling its governing capabilities.
“We've been fighting them for ten days,” said Major General Yakov Amidler (res.), a former Israeli national security adviser. “All they managed to do is launch seven rockets, which tells us how much damage we have already done.”
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IDF forces surrounded the Ter al Sultan in Rafa in Gaza and dismantled the regional terrorist infrastructure. The IDF said the operation would be to increase control and expand the security zones in southern Gaza. (IDF)
A senior Israeli security guard told Fox News Digital: “We seized weapons, labs and command centers. Hamas is not functioning like the military today. It's a dangerous terrorist group, but it wasn't October 7th.”
Israeli data shows that most of Hamas' senior commands have been eliminated, leaving only fragmented units.
“They lost their experienced leadership,” the official said. “They are operating in survival mode.”
This time, Israel is operating under dramatically improved conditions, both military and diplomatically.
“The strategic environment has changed,” Amidler told Fox News Digital. “Hezbollah is weak, Iran is constrained, and the US administration offers real support to us. They don't teach us where to bomb or fight.”
With less threats on other fronts and strong support from the Trump administration, the IDF has broadened its scope to include Hamas' political leadership.
“We're not just diminishing military capabilities anymore,” Amidler said. “We are dismantling the structures Hamas has allowed them to govern.”
During the suspension in the battle, Hamas has strengthened humanitarian assistance, confiscation of supplies, reselling goods, and using them to employ fighter jets and increase controls to maintain loyalty. Israeli officials now say it is not allowed to continue.
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Hamas terrorists have seen hostages being released to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (TPS-IL)
“We are working to find a solution so that humanitarian aid reaches civilians and is not weaponized by Hamas,” an Israeli security official explained. He said Gaza currently has ample food reserves and that Israel is developing a new delivery mechanism that bypasses Hamas entirely.
The 59 Israeli hostages remained in Hamas prisoners. Their continued detention sparked nationwide protests, prompting the government to prioritize negotiated releases. However, new battles put those hostages in greater danger.
“The only real limit is hostages,” Amidler admitted. “We want to bring them to life and fighting war while trying to protect them is a huge challenge.”
“My position is that if you need to commit to end the war and bring it back to the security perimeter, you have to first get the hostage back,” said Ram Ben Barak, former deputy director of the Mossad and current member of Knesset. “We can commit to it, but only if Hamas returns all the hostages. If they don't, that's the only reason why they return to war. And if Hamas returns them, we will smuggle weapons again, or train fighters, that's why we will hit them hard too.”
Israeli soldiers sat in a tank in front of the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from their position on the Israeli side of the border on March 18, 2025. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Security officials said military pressure was part of a coordinated effort to bring hostages into the home.
“They released a group of hostages earlier than planned due to the pressure they applied to Netzarim when they refused to release Arbel Yehud,” he said.
Despite tactical interests, Israeli leaders know that war cannot eliminate Hamas ideology. The mission is to prevent you from re-controlling Gaza.
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Israeli forces surround the Tel al-Sultan of Gaza. (IDF)
“We're not going back to the days when we let them build troops quietly,” Ben Barak told Fox News Digital. “Every time you see military training or smuggling weapons, they attack. They will never have tanks or armored vehicles again.”
Ben Barak said Israel cannot stay in Gaza for the long term. “If we stay in Lebanon like we've been in 19 years, we're embarrassed. The only way to win is to replace Hamas with someone else and rule Gaza.”
He also pointed out the West Bank as a partial model. “In the West Bank, Palestinian authorities govern and operate from boundaries as needed, and the same is necessary in Gaza. [Gaza] Peel off the Hamas and lock them out. ”
Still, he warned of the illusion of peace.
“There will be no peace for the next 20 years. But we can stop Hamas ideology from reincarnating and taking it into account, as Egypt did with the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Ben Barak also said that Gazanians who want to leave should be allowed: “Get them out. If you want to bring a visa, Israel should allow them.
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Israeli forces are now deeply embedded in Gaza, with simultaneous operations in the north, south and central areas.
“These are not symbolic moves,” Amidler said. “We're positioning ourselves towards the next stage. Ultimately, we need to reach every tunnel, blow up the infrastructure, kill all the Hama Stellatorists. Achievable, but it takes at least a year.”
