May 2025 Gaza offensive

Overview

On 4 May 2025, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to expand its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, the offensive aimed to defeat Hamas, destroy its military and governing capabilities, and take control over three quarters of the Gaza Strip. The operation involved combined military force from land, air, and sea. On 16 May, Israel announced the launch of the operation. As of 4 July, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it controlled approximately 65% of the Gaza Strip, most of which was captured during this offensive though this figure was disputed as being inaccurate and understating the control Hamas retains in Gaza. The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the offensive as tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Gideon's Chariots, approved by Israel's security cabinet on 4 May 2025 and launched on 16 May, represented a significant expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza. The operation combined land, air, and sea forces with the stated aims of defeating Hamas, dismantling its military and governing capabilities, and seizing control of approximately three quarters of the Gaza Strip. By 4 July, the IDF reported controlling around 65% of Gaza, though that figure was disputed by outside observers who argued it understated the degree of control Hamas retained in the territory. The offensive drew international condemnation, with the United Nations Human Rights Office characterizing it as tantamount to ethnic cleansing, marking a sharp deterioration in international perception of the campaign. The operation thus represented a major escalation in the Gaza War's territorial dimension while leaving the core question of Hamas's actual degradation and governing capacity contested.

Forces & casualties