Israeli military aims to take over 75 percent of Gaza in 2 months

Israel aims to take control of 75 percent of the Gaza Strip and move its 2 million inhabitants into three designated areas as part of a new military offensive in the coastal strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the 10-day-old operation, codenamed Gideon’s Chariots, is intended to defeat Hamas and recover hostages held by the Iran-backed terrorist group. All of Gaza will eventually be taken over by Israeli forces, Netanyahu has said.

The entire population of the Gaza Strip, 141 square miles in total, would be directed to three areas comprising 25 percent of the territory — the southern Mawasi area in the south, central Gaza and Gaza City in the north — according to reports on Israeli media.

The Israeli military did not immediately confirm these reports. It said troops and tanks currently control around 40 percent of Gaza.

President Donald Trump said he wants the war in Gaza to end as quickly as possible, even as Israel continues to expand its operations.

Alongside military plans, Israel is implementing a U.S.-backed aid-distribution system to provide food initially to around half of Palestinian civilians in the enclave.

Israel had blocked all aid after a truce with Hamas expired. Efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. to mediate a new ceasefire and hostage release have proved fruitless.

Humanitarian aid has begun to trickle back into Gaza, and the new aid program began Monday. However, it’s being marred by the resignation on Sunday of the head of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a Swiss-based nonprofit group supported by the U.S. and Israel to distribute aid in Gaza.

The foundation opened one distribution station in a southern buffer zone on Monday, Israeli officials said, after it said in a statement that its aid trucks “are loaded and ready to go.” The foundation plans to reach “over one million Palestinians by the end of the week.”

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union, triggered the conflict when it attacked southern Israel. It killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Israel has lost more than 400 troops in Gaza combat.

On Monday, the military issued evacuation orders to residents of the southern town of Khan Younis, saying Hamas targets would be engaged there. Israeli strikes killed at least 52 people the same day, the Associated Press reported, citing local health officials.

Eli Cohen, the energy minister, said Israel had rejected an offer for 10 hostages to be released over the course of a two-month ceasefire. Israel backs a proposal by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff under which half of the living hostages would be freed immediately, and the return of the rest and ending the war would be discussed in the ensuing 45- to 60-day truce, Cohen said.

Israel wants Hamas toppled and disarmed and its leaders exiled. Hamas has signaled it could give up Gaza governance, but not its arsenal.

Witkoff rejected Hamas’ claims that they have agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Axios.

A Palestinian official close to the group had told Reuters on Monday that Hamas has agreed to a proposal by Witkoff for a Gaza ceasefire, paving the way for a possible end to the war.

According to the official, the new proposal, which sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce, was received by Hamas through mediators.

“The proposal includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” the source said.

The proposal also sees the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, including hundreds of those serving lengthy prison terms.

An Israeli official also dismissed the latest ceasefire proposal from Hamas on Monday, saying no responsible government could accept such an agreement and rejecting the assertion by Hamas that the deal matched one proposed by Witkoff.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hamas was not interested in a deal.