The war in Gaza is intensifying, hostage talks have hit a dead end, and international pressure is growing.
A lot has happened over the past few weeks in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Let’s break it down.
Israel launches a new operation aiming for total security control of Gaza
Two weeks ago, the IDF launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a new ground maneuver throughout Gaza.
The exact goals of the operation remain unclear, but some details have been confirmed.
The IDF called up tens of thousands of reserve forces for the operation and could call up hundreds of thousands more.
The general objective of the operation is for the IDF to establish security control over most or all of the Gaza Strip.
While Gideon’s Chariots is significantly more intensive than those in recent months, a much larger operation is being readied for launch in the near future with the aim of controlling 75% of Gaza within two months.
Once the full-scale operation begins, the IDF will keep forces in every location it enters. This is different from previous offensives, when Israel left the areas it operated in after cleaning out Hamas infrastructure.
The civilian population will be directed into three restricted zones, according to the latest version of the plan leaked to the press.
One zone will be in Gaza City in northern Gaza, another in a group of neighborhoods in central Gaza, and the third in the Al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza, which has been used as a humanitarian zone throughout the war.
Outside of those zones, the IDF will work to destroy most buildings and eliminate all Hamas infrastructure, including the estimated 420 miles of tunnels still under Gaza.
Israel’s national broadcaster, KAN, reported on Sunday that the IDF estimates that for every combatant eliminated since fighting resumed in March, three civilians have been killed.
This estimate is higher than the number the IDF published earlier in the war, which hovered around one civilian for every one combatant death.
As the operation intensified, the IDF issued evacuation orders for the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza. Civilians were instructed to move to Al-Mawasi, an area near the coast that has been designated as a humanitarian zone throughout the war.
Shortly after the orders were issued, protests erupted in Khan Yunis, with Gazans calling for Hamas to end the war at any cost. Chants of “out, out Hamas” could be heard in footage from the scene.
In the days since, anti-Hamas demonstrations have continued on an almost daily basis.
Since the new operation began, at least 10 rockets have been launched from Gaza toward Israeli communities near the border. No impacts or injuries were reported.
A few days before the launch of intensified military operations, Mohammed Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza and the brother of Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar, was seemingly eliminated in an Israeli airstrike near the European Hospital in southern Gaza.
Additional senior Hamas leaders were eliminated as well in the strike, according to several reports. On Saturday night, Israel confirmed Sinwar had been eliminated, although Hamas hasn’t given final confirmation yet.
Humanitarian aid resumed to Gaza
The entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza was renewed two weeks ago, after the United States and other countries ramped up pressure on Israel concerning the issue.
Humanitarian aid had been blocked from Gaza since March 1. Israeli officials argued that Hamas was stealing donations and that allowing aid in would only help Hamas continue to fight.
While aid organizations have rejected the claims that Hamas is profiting off their donations, the terrorist organization started experiencing financial difficulties in conjunction with the blockade. The Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat outlet reported a week ago that Hamas is now struggling to pay its members.
Employees in Hamas government bodies have received only $250 over the past four months, which isn’t enough to support themselves or their families. Many Hamas-run services in Gaza have also run out of funding and gone defunct. Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, hasn’t paid its members in nearly three months and is failing to secure equipment.
As part of an effort to ensure Hamas can’t profit off aid, the American-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations on Tuesday, distributing aid from a facility built in recent weeks. Two additional facilities were opened during the week and another is set to open in the near future.
Three of the facilities are located along a corridor near Rafah, while another is set up south of the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza. Each Palestinian who arrives at the site will receive a food package for five people that is expected to last between five to 10 days.
Each center will be able to provide food for about 300,000 people, about 1.2 million altogether. The total population of Gaza stands at about 2.2 million people, meaning the system will leave about one million Gazans without help, although the GHF says it intends to build more centers. Until those centers are built, residents of northern Gaza will continue receiving aid from existing distribution mechanisms.
The new system is meant to bypass Hamas, both to undermine its governance of the Strip and to prevent it from profiting off aid. The old aid system often used Hamas police officers for security and Hamas government agencies to aid with distribution. The idea behind the project is that if Hamas wants to steal this aid, it will have to steal from individual families, which could spark wider anti-Hamas protests.
Due to the small number of distribution centers, critics are concerned that Gazans will need to travel for hours to get necessities. It’s also unclear how people with mobility issues, such as the injured or elderly, will get aid. The concentration of centers in southern Gaza has many critics concerned that the system will be used to displace Gazans out of northern Gaza, as well.
Israel is reportedly considering allowing other aid groups to continue bringing in non-food aid, per the Associated Press. The report cited a letter from GHF to Israeli officials, which stated that items like medical supplies and shelter materials would continue to be handled under the already existing distribution system led by the U.N.
The GHF added in the letter that it cannot handle all of the aid distribution independently and will need to work with existing organizations. The GHF told the AP that it secured these agreements from Israel after persistent advocacy.
It remains unclear who is actually funding GHF. The organization has declined requests to name donors.
International aid groups have pushed back against the plan, arguing it would “militarize” aid and go against humanitarian principles.
The humanitarian principles that guide most aid agencies are: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
The principle of humanity means that human suffering needs to be addressed wherever it’s found, with priority given to the most vulnerable. Neutrality means aid can’t favor any side in a conflict. Impartiality means aid distribution needs to be based solely on need, without any form of discrimination. Independence means agencies need to be independent from any political, economic, military, or other objectives.
A day before the company began operations, the CEO of GHF, Jake Wood, announced his resignation due to concerns about these humanitarian principles.
Wood said he was proud of the plan he oversaw, but that “it is clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon.”
The former CEO additionally called on Israel to significantly expand the provision of aid to Gaza through all mechanisms.
International pressure is growing against the war
In light of the intensification of the war and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, several countries, including Israel’s allies, threatened action if the war doesn’t end soon.
The leaders of France, Canada, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement two weeks ago threatening sanctions if Israel doesn’t end the war and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that restrictions on humanitarian aid are “unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law.”
“Israel suffered a heinous attack on October 7. We have always supported Israel’s right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate,” the three stressed.
“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”
The three leaders emphasized their support for a two-state solution, pointing to an international conference planned for June 18 by France and Saudi Arabia on the issue.
The conference aims to solidify international support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to encourage more countries to unilaterally recognize the Palestinian Authority as a state. The move is also meant to increase pressure on Israel to accept a two-state solution. Support for the two-state solution has dropped in Israel since Oct. 7, with only 31% supporting it in recent polls.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the group of critical world leaders on Monday, saying that he “no longer understands” what Israel’s goal in Gaza is.
“To cause such suffering to the civilian population, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified by the fight against Hamas terrorism,” Merz said.
The U.K. announced last week that it was suspending negotiations concerning a new trade deal with Israel, and the European Union said it was reconsidering a trade and cooperation deal it’s had with Israel for years.
Israel’s closest ally, the U.S., is also reportedly growing frustrated with the continuation of the war.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he hopes the war in Gaza will end soon.
“We want to see if we can stop that. And Israel, we’ve been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible,” he said.
White House aides have reportedly told the Israeli government in recent weeks that Trump wants Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war.
“The president is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza,” one White House official told Axios.
“The President sees a real chance for peace and prosperity in the region, but the war in Gaza is the last hot spot and he wants it to end,” added another official.
Netanyahu has rejected international criticism, saying that world leaders’ recent statements “are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on Oct. 7 while inviting more such atrocities.”
“The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t,” Netanyahu added. “This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved.”
“I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice. You’re on the wrong side of humanity and you’re on the wrong side of history.”
Criticism of the war is increasing in Israel
Within Israel, there has also been a growing debate surrounding the war.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned the renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling it “a serious and grave mistake.”
In another statement, Ben-Gvir stressed that the IDF needed to push forward until Hamas surrenders.
“We must now enter Gaza with all our might and finish the job — conquering, seizing the territory, crushing the enemy, and freeing our hostages by force,” the minister said.
Zvika Mor, the father of hostage Eitan Mor, argued that Israel shouldn’t agree to a deal, expressing confidence that only military pressure would lead to his son’s release.
Mor stressed that he recognizes that a deal will need to be reached eventually, but that such a deal can only be effective if Israel comes out on top.
Talik Gvili, the mother of hostage Ran Gvili, argued that “the return of the hostages can only occur with the crushing of Hamas — and getting them down on all fours until they beg to return the hostages.”
Gvili rejected the idea of temporary ceasefires, which would only return some hostages, saying that Israel should occupy Gaza until Hamas releases them all.
Other Israelis argue that the time has come to end the war and secure the release of the hostages through a comprehensive ceasefire deal.
Several polls by Israeli media over the past few weeks show that around 60 to 70% of Israelis support a deal that would end the war in exchange for the release of all the hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called for a comprehensive deal that will return all 58 hostages and end the war, rejecting talks of a temporary ceasefire.
“Israel does not have the privilege of abandoning the negotiations. If we choose to do so, the State of Israel will lose out on all fronts: the hostages will be placed in grave danger, our soldiers will pay a heavy price, and Israel will sink into the Gaza mud while being politically isolated. Maximum price, minimum achievements.”
The Forum added that there has “been a clear agreement on the table for over a year.”
“The excuses and spins are over. Israel has eliminated Hamas’s command and defeated the organization militarily. It is time to adopt an agreement, release all the hostages, and save Israel,” the Forum said. “This is the will of the vast majority of the people; this is the only way to a real Israeli victory. Time is running out, the world is watching and history will remember.”
Noam Peri, the daughter of Haim Peri — a hostage killed by his captors earlier in the war after an Israeli airstrike hit near where he was being held — argued that military pressure would endanger the remaining hostages.
“There are 41 hostages who were killed or murdered in captivity as a result of the fighting, that’s already a fact…The price is clear, they know it, they have conducted investigations and know how the hostages were murdered and killed in captivity, whether by the bombings of tunnels, the bombings of apartments, or whether by the approach of maneuvering soldiers and then the captors murdered them – everything is known and investigated, and now it would be a real crime to ignore it,” Peri said.
These comments are part of a larger debate that has underlined the entire war: the question of what the top priority of the war should be. Some Israelis believe rescuing hostages should be the top priority of the war, while others believe it should be destroying Hamas.
Some politicians went further, claiming the government was either committing war crimes or nearing such crimes. The comments sparked outrage across the political spectrum in Israel.
Yair Golan, the head of the left-wing Democrats party (formerly Meretz), warned that “Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don’t return to acting like a sane country.”
“A sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations,” Golan added. He later walked back his comments, saying he didn’t mean that IDF soldiers were killing babies in Gaza “as a hobby” but rather that some government officials wanted that to happen.
Former prime minister Ehud Olmert echoed those comments, claiming that the government was waging “a pointless war, without a clear goal or plan, and with no chance of success.”
Olmert noted that throughout the war, he argued against people accusing Israel of war crimes, but said that he was now unable to do so.
“What we are doing in Gaza is a war of extermination: indiscriminate, unrestrained, brutal, and criminal killing of civilians,” the former prime minister said. “We are doing this not because of an accidental loss of control in a particular sector, not because of a disproportionate outburst of fighters in some unit — but as a result of a policy dictated by the government, knowingly, intentionally, viciously, maliciously, recklessly. Yes, we are committing war crimes.”
Hostage talks hit a dead end
Israel, Hamas, and international mediators intensified efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal over the past month, but those talks hit a dead end in the past two weeks.
Netanyahu said in a press conference last week that Israel would only accept a temporary ceasefire or a deal that met all of Israel’s demands to end the war.
For an end to the war, Israel is demanding the demilitarization of Hamas, the exile of Hamas senior leaders, the release of all the remaining 58 Israeli hostages, and a mechanism to allow Palestinians who want to leave Gaza to do so.
The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday that the U.S. had asked Israel to delay the full-scale operation being planned by the IDF to give more time for negotiations for a hostage deal.
The Saudi Al-Hadath news channel reported on Sunday that other Palestinian factions were outraged at Hamas for not securing a ceasefire deal yet. The groups are demanding that the terrorist movement agree to even a temporary deal to prevent widespread displacement. The factions have also demanded to join the negotiating team.
On Monday, Arabic media reported that a new proposal for a 70-day ceasefire had been raised, during which five live hostages and five dead hostages would be released. In return, Israel would need to withdraw its forces to near the Gaza border, allow in around 1,000 trucks of aid per day, and discuss an end to the war.
The new proposal was reportedly drafted by Palestinian-American activist Bishara Bahbah in coordination with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Israeli sources categorically rejected such a proposal as “unacceptable and illogical,” noting that the conditions were worse than other proposals presented earlier.
“This is a proposal that no Israeli government would agree to accept. This is a draft that does not indicate a real desire to bridge the gaps between the parties,” said one of the sources.
Last week, Witkoff sent a new proposal to Israel and Hamas.
The proposal reportedly would lead to a 60-day ceasefire. On the first day of the ceasefire, five living and nine deceased hostages would be released. Another five living and nine deceased would be released on the seventh day. In return, Israel would release 1,236 Palestinian prisoners, including 125 serving life sentences, as well as the bodies of 180 Gazans.
The deal would also see humanitarian aid increased to Gaza, including through the United Nations. Israel would also withdraw from parts of Gaza after the releases of hostages. As soon as the ceasefire begins, Israel and Hamas will have to start negotiations concerning the end of the war. If an agreement isn’t reached by the end of the ceasefire, the ceasefire could be extended in accordance with agreements between the two sides. The U.S., Egypt, and Qatar will guarantee that serious discussions are held to end the war.
Israel expressed support for the proposal, but Hamas rejected it, sending back a list of demands that Witkoff called “totally unacceptable.”
Reportedly, Hamas said in its response that it was willing to release ten live hostages and the bodies of 18 others in five phases over a 60-day period. Hamas is also demanding that any deal include a commitment to negotiate an end to the war by the end of the ceasefire. They also are demanding that if a deal to end the war isn’t reached, the ceasefire will continue until one is.
Israel, on the other hand, has demanded that 10 live hostages be released in the first week of a ceasefire. Israel has also rejected demands to commit to end the war unless Hamas is demilitarized and its senior leaders are exiled from Gaza.
Gulf states propose new paths to a ceasefire
A major question has been what will happen in Gaza after the war, whether it ends with the planned intensive operation or a ceasefire deal.
Beyond the goal of removing Hamas governance, Israeli government officials have issued contradictory or unclear statements concerning what will be done with Gaza after the war. Some have called for Israel to take full control, while others have called for the U.S. or an international administration to take charge.
The Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, reportedly have presented their own proposals over the past few weeks, both concerning how to end the war and what to do with Gaza after.
The deal, according to Israel Hayom, would have a ceasefire begin immediately, with half of the hostages being released within a matter of days.
Negotiations concerning how exactly the war would end would be required to start immediately.
After an interim period when measures ensuring Israel’s security are implemented, Israel will withdraw completely from Gaza. Hamas will be required to give up all of its weapons to an Arab country, and Hamas’s senior military officials will be exiled from the Strip.
Temporary residence camps will be set up in Gaza while reconstruction occurs, and Gazans who want to will be allowed to leave, with priority given to the sick and injured.
The reconstruction of Gaza will be run by an Arab-American committee consisting of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the U.S., and Europe, which will administer the Strip for the near future. Palestinians will be part of the committee as civil figures, engineers, managers, and economists.
The Palestinian Authority will need to give its support for the plan and will be allowed to take part in administering Gaza once it undergoes certain reforms. The UAE will work during this time to remove antisemitic and inciting content from the Palestinian education system.
Initially, security will be handled by international, Arab, and Palestinian forces as Hamas disarms. Former Hamas policemen may be allowed to take part in a future Palestinian police force, according to the report.
