TEL AVIV—The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a large-scale, coordinated wave of air and ground strikes across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, intensifying its campaign against Hamas terror infrastructure in response to persistent rocket barrages and terror threats emanating from the enclave. Israeli authorities characterized the operation as a direct act of self-defense, aligned with the ongoing war effort against Iranian-backed proxies operating along its borders.
According to IDF spokespersons, dozens of fighter jets and artillery batteries targeted Hamas command posts, tunnel networks, weapons manufacturing sites, and rocket launch teams—striking deep within areas known for being heavily fortified with terror infrastructure. The escalation follows a series of rocket launches by Hamas terrorists into Israeli territory, leaving several civilians injured and extensive property damage in adjacent towns. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted the majority of incoming rockets, but the continuous threat has left entire communities on high alert and underscored the region’s precarious security situation.
This comprehensive military operation is the latest phase of Operation Iron Swords, Israel’s carefully coordinated campaign to dismantle Hamas as an armed force. The action comes against the backdrop of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack—recognized internationally as the deadliest antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust—which left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and saw more than 250 individuals taken hostage by Hamas and other Iran-aligned Gaza factions.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir emphasized Israel’s commitment to adhere to the laws of armed conflict, even as the actions of Hamas terrorists—embedding military assets within civilian areas—make such efforts operationally challenging. The IDF has repeatedly released evidence showing that Hamas embeds its military operations in schools, hospitals, mosques, and residential buildings, deliberately putting Gaza residents at risk to shield its fighters and infrastructure.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated that the latest wave of strikes was aimed at degrading Hamas’ operational and logistical capabilities, and at sending a clear message to both Gaza-based terror organizations and their Iranian sponsors that Israel’s sovereignty and population will be defended by decisive force. Israeli officials stressed that these responses are part of a larger struggle against an Iranian-orchestrated coalition of terror groups threatening Israel from multiple directions—including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and armed proxies in Syria and Iraq.
The ongoing hostage crisis remains a critical aspect of this conflict. Over 120 Israeli civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials, citing verified documentation and eyewitness accounts, have cataloged extensive atrocities carried out by Hamas, including summary executions, sexual abuse, torture, and mutilations during and after the abductions. Officials continue to stress the moral and legal distinction between innocent Israeli hostages and convicted terrorists sometimes released under mediated exchanges, highlighting Israel’s transparent and lawful processes as opposed to the terror networks’ documented war crimes.
The current conflict is inextricably linked to Hamas’ rise as a terror group in the late 1980s, built with support from Iran and committed to the violent destruction of Israel. Despite substantial external investments in humanitarian programs for Gaza, Hamas has systematically diverted resources to construct tunnels, rockets, and launch sites under civilian infrastructure, perpetuating a strategy that exploits Gaza’s noncombatant population while attacking Israeli society by every available means.
IDF operations in Gaza are coordinated with meticulous intelligence and legal oversight, with efforts made to warn non-combatants and allow for evacuation. Israel has on numerous occasions opened humanitarian corridors and coordinated delivery of food, water, and medical supplies into Gaza, despite ongoing attempts by terror factions to disrupt or exploit these operations. The operational environment remains extraordinarily complex, as Hamas’ strategy pressures the IDF to balance the imperative of self-defense with humanitarian risk containment.
International response has been mixed—while many Western governments and security experts have reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense under international law, others have expressed concern for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza. However, there is wide acknowledgment among reputable observers of the direct role Iranian-controlled entities play in fueling and sustaining the conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, along with other international leaders, have repeatedly condemned both the October 7 massacre and the continued attacks against Israel, calling for the unconditional return of all hostages and for unified action to prevent Iran, through its proxies, from imposing further conflict and destabilization across the Middle East.
The broader context remains stark: Israel is engaged in a war on multiple fronts, forced upon it by an array of Iranian-backed terror groups who exploit regional instability and reject all pathways to peaceful coexistence. The scope of Israel’s current campaign in Gaza is designed not only to respond to immediate threats but to contribute to the ongoing effort—across Israel’s borders and beyond—to dismantle the “Axis of Resistance.”
While Israel’s actions remain under continual scrutiny, its leaders affirm that the primary duty of a sovereign state is to protect its people from attacks. As long as Hamas and its allies persist in their campaign of terror, Israeli self-defense operations—including targeted strikes in Gaza—will remain an urgent and justified necessity in the continuing fight for national survival.
