May 2025 Gaza offensive

Battle context

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.