Gaza / PNN /
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth published on Wednesday new details about the ground plan prepared by the Israeli army’s Southern Command, which constitutes the largest military operation since the beginning of the war on Gaza.
According to the report, five regular brigades will take part in the operation, in addition to around 130,000 reservists who will be called up in three waves between September 2025 and March 2026. The army stated that the operation would be “gradual and extended,” with its declared goal being the “seizure of Gaza,” while taking into account the issue of Israeli captives held by the resistance and the possibility of a prisoner exchange deal during the operations.
The plan, which will soon be presented to the cabinet, includes the deployment of 12 combat battalions alongside other units from the Gaza brigades, as well as the establishment of field hospitals and infrastructure in the center of the Strip with the participation of foreign organizations, as part of what the army calls “phases of evacuation and preparation.” The occupation leadership also decided to extend reservists’ call-up orders by about 40 days in a differentiated manner, while granting regular forces rest periods to avoid the exhaustion that marked the first year of the war.
On the ground, the army defined the stages of the operation as beginning with evacuating civilians and airstrikes, then encircling areas, and eventually moving to “ground control and maneuver.” Despite this, military leaders admit that Hamas still retains two central capabilities: two brigades in the central Gaza Strip and Gaza City, as well as strategic tunnels that remain intact and are part of the plan’s targets.
Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi emphasized in closed discussions that he is not threatening to resign, but insists that the call-ups begin after the summer vacation so soldiers can spend time with their families. Defense Minister Israel Katz has approved the plan, stressing that its objectives are “to take control of Gaza City, free the captives, dismantle Hamas and strip it of weapons, and create the conditions to end the war while ensuring the army’s freedom of action.”
Notably, the operation carries the name “Gideon Chariots B,” a continuation of the previous campaign announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under the name “Gideon Chariots,” in which he promised to defeat Hamas. That campaign, however, ended without achieving its goals, despite Israel controlling about 75% of the Strip’s territory. According to the newspaper, the new naming reflects hesitation within the security establishment about the value of reusing the same term in light of past failures.
Thus, Israel is seeking to market a long-term plan extending until 2026, combining gradual military steps with adaptation to political developments, particularly the potential of a prisoner exchange deal. Yet, the newspaper’s findings reveal that “decisive victory” remains an ambiguous objective, and that the army itself acknowledges the results may remain open to multiple interpretations.
