As U.S. President Donald Trump pushes forward with the next phase of his Middle East peace plan, the IDF has formulated a plan for a potential ground operation in Gaza, targeting areas under Hamas control, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing sources familiar with the preparations.
The report comes as the body of hostage Ran Gvili remains held by Hamas for 827 days, and as Hamas reportedly accelerates efforts to rebuild its military capabilities following the recent war. According to Arab and Israeli sources quoted by the Journal, the terrorist group is restoring tunnel infrastructure damaged in the war and has received funds allowing it to resume paying salaries to its fighters.
In a closed-door briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee last week, Military Intelligence officials confirmed that Hamas has been strengthening its forces since the end of the war. The group is said to be advancing in weapons production, training, operational doctrine and recruitment.
Last month, during a high-level security discussion on Gaza attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense officials, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed the possibility of another ground incursion into the coastal enclave. According to sources familiar with the meeting, Zamir expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the international stabilization force proposed by the United States to disarm Hamas and maintain postwar security.
While the U.S.-backed plan envisions an international force entering Gaza to oversee Hamas’ disarmament, Zamir reportedly outlined scenarios in which the IDF would be tasked with carrying out the disarmament itself, signaling readiness for another direct military campaign.
IDF forces operating in Gaza
(Video: IDF)
During the meeting, Zamir asked Netanyahu for guidance on how the army should prepare for a scenario in which it would have to demilitarize Gaza, particularly regarding who would govern the territory afterward. While emphasizing his opposition to reimposing Israeli military rule, Zamir presented it as one possible outcome if no viable alternative emerges for the "day after" Hamas.
Zamir warned that without a clear post-war governance plan, Hamas could quickly reestablish control, as it is currently doing. Netanyahu reportedly did not provide a definitive answer on who would take control of Gaza in the event of the stabilization force's failure and a renewed Israeli ground operation.