Israel Prepares for New Ground Offensive in Gaza as Tensions Explode Again
Israel’s military said on Saturday that it is mobilizing for a new and potentially massive advance into Gaza, with intense airstrikes already laying the groundwork for what could be the next chapter of a brutal war that has stretched on for 19 months.
While no large-scale ground invasion has occurred yet, military sources suggest that some ground troops have started moving though where and how far remains undisclosed.
Overnight Friday into Saturday, Israeli jets pounded Gaza, triggering panic and displacement. More than 140 Palestinians were killed in a single day, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Bodies are still believed to be trapped beneath rubble as the humanitarian toll worsens.
Netanyahu’s Vow: More Land, More Pressure
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to expand the ground campaign until Hamas is crushed, weapons are surrendered, and hostages are returned. But after a year and a half of war, Hamas remains defiant, and 58 hostages are still held in the Gaza Strip.
“The bombing felt like an earthquake,” said Hani al-Dibs, a displaced man who fled eastern Gaza amid rumors of a renewed Israeli ground assault. Others packed carts or walked west from cities like Deir al-Balah, trying to escape the strikes.
A War With No End in Sight
Since the conflict began with Hamas’s shocking attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 which killed 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of 250 Israel has been relentless. Now, over 53,000 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Civilians, combatants, children all buried under a tide of destruction.
A temporary ceasefire in January offered hope, but that deal collapsed in mid-March. Now, talks are happening in Qatar, with the U.S. acting as a mediator. Yet little progress has been made, even as the international community calls for a truce.
Gaza on the Brink of Famine
The United Nations has issued urgent warnings: two million Palestinians are facing famine. Since March, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, in a move meant to pressure Hamas.
In a regional tour, President Donald Trump (now in his second term) visited Gulf states but skipped Israel. Wrapping up his trip, he admitted:
“A lot of people are starving in Gaza, and we want to help.”
Hostage Crisis at a Deadlock
Hamas is refusing to release the remaining hostages unless Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and a total withdrawal from Gaza. Of the 58 still held, only about 20 are believed to be alive.
In the meantime, Israeli troops have turned most of Gaza into evacuation zones or military territory, herding civilians into smaller and smaller pockets of livable land.
The Big Picture
As both sides dig in, Gaza continues to burn caught between military might and political deadlock. Civilians, especially women and children, bear the brunt of the suffering.
Will diplomacy win out or will war define yet another year in the region’s bloodstained history?
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Israel Prepares for New Ground Offensive in Gaza as Tensions Explode Again