IDF has announced shortly before midnight on Friday that over the past day, it had begun extensive strikes and moved forces to seize dominating positions in Gaza as part of the opening moves of Operation "Gideon's Chariots" and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza. According to the statement, "all of these efforts are aimed at achieving the objectives of the war in Gaza, including the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas. Israeli forces under the Southern Command will continue to act to protect Israeli citizens and fulfill the goals of the war."
IDF attacks in Gaza
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
In Gaza, there were simultaneous reports of a loud explosion in the northern Gaza Strip and heavy fire from IDF troops. Reports also mentioned renewed artillery fire and gunfire from IDF vehicles east of the Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City. According to the reports, "IDF is bombing buildings in northern Gaza." Overnight, there were also reports of strikes in Khan Younis, Jabaliya, and Deir al-Balah.
The dramatic IDF announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East concluded and amid stalled hostage negotiation talks in Doha. Over the past two days, attacks in Gaza have escalated significantly, with more than 250 people killed since Thursday morning, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health—marking the deadliest strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed in March.
IDF strikes in northern Gaza on Friday were described by military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai as aiming to push residents of the area to move southward. However, he noted that no ground operation has yet begun, and that the goal appears to be exerting pressure on Hamas during the Doha negotiations. Military sources indicated that "part of Operation Gideon's Chariots involves moving the Palestinian population." They added that preparations for a ground offensive are currently underway.
Sources familiar with the matter said that Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, attempted to break the deadlock in the Doha talks with a small deal for hostage releases in exchange for a month-long ceasefire. However, there is currently no agreement, as Hamas still insists on a permanent end to the war. Reports from Jerusalem indicate that the talks are at a standstill, with both sides entrenched in their positions and awaiting a decision from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on whether to recall the delegation. Israeli sources added that "Witkoff has given up and is leaving the decisions to Israel." No comment was provided by Witkoff. One source claimed, "There is no progress in the talks, no optimism. Hamas is not ready for the big deal, and as it looks now, Israel is heading for a ground maneuver within days. There might be last-minute changes."
President Trump, speaking on Friday afternoon at the end of his visit to the UAE, said he was unsure if Netanyahu could secure the release of the hostages. "We'll know soon; they're not in a good situation. We'll work together on this," he said. He added, "We're looking at Gaza, and we have to deal with it. There's a lot of bad stuff happening." Trump expressed optimism, saying that many "good things" would happen in Gaza over the next month.
Trump did not comment on whether he supports Netanyahu's plans to expand military activity in Gaza but emphasized the humanitarian crisis caused by the war. "We also need to help the Palestinians," he said. "You know, many people are starving in Gaza, so we need to look at both sides. But we'll do a good job."
While preparations for a ground operation are ongoing, assessments suggest that even if Israel intensifies its actions, it will not be the large-scale operation previously mentioned but rather a smaller initiative aimed at scaring Hamas into agreeing to a deal. In any case, the IDF reiterated, amid tensions between ministers and IDF Chief of Staff, that "IDF soldiers will not stand by distributing humanitarian aid."
Trump speaks in Abu Dhabi about Gaza
UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher criticized the new Gaza aid fund announced by the U.S., calling it "a waste of time." In a statement to the press, Fletcher rejected proposals to establish an alternative mechanism for delivering aid, urging, "Let’s not waste time. We already have an operational plan based on non-negotiable principles—humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence." He added, "We’ve done this before. We can do it again. We know how to prevent hunger. Let us work." Fletcher emphasized the UN has the personnel, distribution networks, community trust in the field, and the aid itself—160,000 pallets of supplies ready for delivery.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Friday of what he called "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza. "The latest wave of bombings forces people to move under the threat of even heavier attacks," Türk said. "The systematic destruction of entire neighborhoods and the prevention of humanitarian aid constitute what appears to be an attempt at permanent demographic change in Gaza, undermining international law and amounting to ethnic cleansing."
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Following Friday's operation in which two ports in Yemen were attacked, Defense Minister Israel Katz hinted that Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas' de facto leader in Gaza, had been eliminated in an airstrike earlier this week at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, although no official statement has been made. "If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at Israel, they will suffer painful blows, and we will target terrorist leaders just as we did to Mohammed Deif and the Sinwars in Gaza, Nasrallah in Beirut, and Haniyeh in Tehran. We will hunt down and eliminate Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in Yemen too," Katz said.
Israeli military, however, has not yet confirmed that Mohammed Sinwar was killed in the strike. "This week, we targeted the European Hospital, where Hamas militants at various levels were present. We will provide updates once we have confirmed information. All the strikes are coordinated with the Prisoners and Missing Persons Headquarters to avoid harming the hostages," military sources said.