As attention across the Middle East focuses on complex negotiations involving Lebanon and Iran, Israeli security officials say the real drama is unfolding in the relative quiet of the Gaza Strip.
According to diplomatic sources, Hamas is continuing to dig in and refuses to disarm as part of the implementation of “Trump’s plan.” Against that backdrop, the IDF is preparing to move to a stage of heavier pressure meant to force the terror group to reassess its position.
IDF operations in Gaza
(Photo: IDF)
Six brigades are currently operating inside Gaza, with troop rotations indicating preparations for a prolonged and intensive stay. In the near future, the Paratroopers Brigade is expected to replace a reserve brigade that has completed its mission in the sector.
Fighters from the Iron Fist Brigade, also known as the 205th Brigade, under the command of the 252nd Division, recently completed a significant two-month combat rotation. It was their sixth round of fighting since the start of the war, after moving between southern Gaza and southern Lebanon.
This time, the mission was surgical and included clearing the area between eastern Gaza and the “yellow line.” In close cooperation with the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, troops carried out systematic drilling along more than 6 kilometers. The complex engineering operation led to the discovery and destruction of eight strategic underground Hamas tunnel routes.
During the operation, troops also killed dozens of terrorists in close-quarters encounters and found weapons.
The IDF says the activity is not static. Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, more than 100 terrorists have been killed in Gaza. They include not only fighters, but also senior figures in Hamas’ remaining units, including some who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre.
“No one is fooling themselves,” fighters operating deep inside Gaza said. “Hamas is trying to rebuild itself among the Gazan public and is investing enormous efforts in renewed force buildup. We are fighting here not only terrorists with weapons, but the smuggling networks and the crossings. Every thwarted smuggling attempt directly affects their ability to recover.”
To consolidate control, the IDF has shifted from temporary defensive positions to permanent outposts in the area between the border and the yellow line. Dozens have been built in recent months. The goal is to create a stable security zone that allows flexible action against any Hamas attempt to reemerge.
Despite tactical achievements, Israel’s political and military leadership understands that Gaza is not an isolated arena. The ability to defeat Hamas is limited by developments on other fronts. Fighting in Lebanon, the IDF’s ability to operate beyond the Litani River and U.S. negotiations with Iran all affect the number of forces that can be allocated to Gaza. The fact that the other fronts remain unresolved makes a decisive outcome harder to achieve.
At this stage, the IDF is focusing most of its intelligence and air force attention on the northern front, where Hezbollah continues to fire at northern communities and military forces. The threat most worrying commanders is explosive drones, a scenario that could also erupt from Gaza and explains the heavy investment in thwarting smuggling along the southern border.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to the drone threat, said: “A few weeks ago, I ordered the establishment of a special project to counter the drone threat. It will take time, but we are on it.”
ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth have learned that the IDF is holding study days under the title “the low-altitude defense challenge,” referring to threats flying close to the ground. The army calls it an “information loading day,” during which temporary solutions will be presented to fighters, with a focus on changes seen in the Russia-Ukraine war.
In the near future, the IDF is expected to continue clearing operations up to the yellow line, in the hope that military pressure will reach Hamas’ surviving leadership.
Israel’s message is clear: If negotiations do not advance through diplomatic channels, the IDF is prepared to return Gaza to high-intensity combat, even if that requires diverting forces already released from the maneuver in Lebanon back to the southern front.
Israel’s eyes may be on the north, but its hands are acting forcefully in the south.
First published: 07:56, 05.04.26