Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed on Thursday Israel’s plans for the next phase of its war in Gaza, stating that Israel intends to adopt a more targeted approach in the northern part of the enclave while continuing to pursue the leaders of Hamas in the south.
The announcement comes as Israel continues to reduce its troop numbers in Gaza, allowing thousands of reserve soldiers to return to their jobs amid increasing international pressure to shift to less intense combat operations. Gallant’s office stated, “In the northern area of the Gaza Strip, we will transition to a new combat approach in line with the military achievements on the ground,” describing it in a statement as clarifying the guidelines reflecting Gallant’s vision for the upcoming phases of the war.
Gallant said the operations would include raids, demolition of tunnels, and air and ground strikes, as well as special forces operations. In the besieged southern part of the Strip, where most of the enclave’s 2.3 million inhabitants now live, mostly in tents and temporary shelters, the operation will continue to try to eliminate Hamas leaders and rescue Israeli hostages. The statement mentioned, “The operation will continue as long as it is deemed necessary.”
Gallant further stated in the announcement that Hamas will not regain control over Gaza after the war and that Israel will maintain the freedom to carry out operations. However, he added that there would be no Israeli civilian presence, and Palestinian authorities are planned to administer the Gaza Strip. He continued, “The residents of Gaza are Palestinians, hence Palestinian bodies will take responsibility, provided there are no hostile acts or threats to the State of Israel.”
Israel launched its attack on Gaza following the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel. Israel claims the attack resulted in 1,200 deaths in towns near Gaza and approximately 240 hostages taken. Palestinian health authorities report that the Israeli attack led to over 22,000 deaths and forced most residents to leave their homes, turning large areas of the Strip into ruins.
