Israeli army approves guidelines for Gaza offensive

12th August 2025

3 minutes read

Israeli army approves guidelines for Gaza offensive

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has approved the “guidelines” for a planned attack on the Gaza Strip.

Israel says it intends to launch a new offensive to retake control of Gaza City, which it seized shortly after the outbreak of war in October 2023 before subsequently withdrawing.

According to an official statement, “the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, held a meeting today during which he approved the central concept of the IDF’s operational plan for the Gaza Strip, with the participation of the General Staff Forum, representatives from the Shin Bet, and other senior commanders.”

During the meeting, “the IDF’s achievements to date were presented, including the offensive in the Zeitoun neighborhood that began the previous day. The central concept for the next steps in Gaza was approved in accordance with political directives.”

The Chief of Staff stressed “the importance of maintaining a high level of readiness, preparing for a possible call-up of reservists, conducting refresher exercises, and granting a period of rest before upcoming missions.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Israel’s public broadcaster reported that mediators had presented Hamas with a new proposal involving a comprehensive deal to release all hostages, both alive and dead, in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners and the disarmament of the movement.

The proposal requires Hamas to agree to a new Israeli withdrawal plan from Gaza under joint Arab-American supervision, pending a permanent settlement of the disarmament issue and governance of the Strip.

Among Israel’s conditions is Hamas’s commitment to freeze all military wing activities and surrender its weapons, with guarantees from international mediators, including Turkey, while parallel talks would aim at a permanent ceasefire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted that Israel is no longer seeking partial deals, announcing an acceleration of military operations to capture Gaza and end the war swiftly.

However, according to the public broadcaster, while negotiators and mediators believe that the gaps between the two sides can be bridged, Netanyahu has described Hamas’s terms as “conditions for surrender,” which has prevented an agreement.

Israeli military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai, writing in Yediot Aharonot, argued that the cabinet’s decision to seize Gaza is intended to maintain sustained pressure on Hamas to return to negotiations for a comprehensive deal that includes the release of hostages and a ceasefire, while clearly defining the conditions that would end the war and determine the territory’s future.

Sources familiar with the talks say that differences of opinion remain within the Israeli team over the possibility of making progress toward an agreement, even a partial one, at this stage.

From Hamas’s side, internal discussions have reportedly resumed over the possibility of negotiating a partial deal, and mediators are expected to increase pressure on both parties in the coming days to return to the table.

In this context, a short visit to Cairo by a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya is planned, not to resume direct talks, but to repair tensions with Egypt following Hamas’s call for anti-Israel protests on Egyptian soil, which angered Cairo.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced on Tuesday that Egypt, in cooperation with Qatar and the United States, is working to revive a 60-day truce in Gaza as part of renewed efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas.