On June 20, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the elimination of dozens of Hamas militants and the destruction of approximately 200 pieces of terror infrastructure during Operation Gideon’s Chariots (“Merkevet Gideon”) in the Gaza Strip. The operation, spearheaded by the elite 98th Division, targets entrenched Hamas cadres and their command and logistics centers in central and southern Gaza, demonstrating Israel’s continued commitment to neutralizing threats posed by Iranian-backed terrorist organizations. These developments were confirmed in an official statement and visual documentation released by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit (idf.il/296433) and reported by major news agencies monitoring the conflict.
The opening phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots involved infantry and armor units advancing through strongholds identified through extensive surveillance and intelligence gathering. Elite IDF forces engaged in methodical urban warfare, dismantling fortified Hamas positions, seizing weapons caches, and uncovering tunnel entrances embedded deep within civilian infrastructure. IDF combat engineers used precision demolitions to destroy tunnels and weapons production sites, while Israeli Air Force drones provided live overhead intelligence and strike capability throughout the operation. In a detailed briefing, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir stated that the operation’s objectives include halting rocket fire against Israeli civilians, degrading Hamas’s operational capability, and ensuring the safe return of all hostages still held in Gaza.
Military analysts widely agree that the IDF’s actions reflect a highly disciplined Western approach to counter-terrorism, emphasizing proportional use of force and adherence to the laws of armed conflict. The IDF issued repeated warnings to Gaza residents before advancing in urban areas, including the use of leaflets, phone calls, and localized evacuation corridors, consistent with established protocols for minimizing civilian harm. In contrast, Hamas has continued to embed its fighters, weapons, and leadership among civilian populations and critical infrastructure, as documented by the United Nations and credible NGOs. The use of human shields and the location of military facilities underneath mosques, hospitals, and schools violate established international law and are condemned by Western governments and rights monitors.
Operation Gideon’s Chariots is part of Israel’s response to the atrocities of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented cross-border assault, killing more than 1,200 Israeli civilians, inflicting mass casualties, and kidnapping hundreds of hostages in the most severe antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, have repeatedly emphasized that military operations are a last resort, taken in the absence of credible diplomatic alternatives, and are central to the defense of Israeli citizens and the wider Western democratic order. The operation comes amid broader regional tensions linked to Iran’s support for proxy forces across the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iranian-aligned militias in Syria and Iraq. Western intelligence agencies, including the United States and European Union member states, corroborate Israeli findings that Tehran provides financial, logistic, and technical assistance to these groups, in several cases violating United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The destruction of around 200 pieces of terror infrastructure—including arms caches, tunnel shafts, command posts, and surveillance positions—represents a significant degradation of Hamas’s military capacity in the region. The IDF released photographic and video evidence of these operations, corroborated by verified third-party imagery and intelligence reports. The ruins of rocket launchers, command bunkers, and tunnel openings testify to the scope of Hamas’s militarization of urban Gaza and justify the IDF’s operational focus on strategic targets directly tied to ongoing attacks. Israeli ground and air forces acted in coordination, leveraging technological superiority to track, locate, and eliminate enemy combatants while avoiding unnecessary collateral damage whenever possible.
From a historical and geopolitical perspective, the events in Gaza epitomize the broader regional and international stakes faced by Israel and its Western allies. For nearly two decades, Hamas has transformed Gaza into an armed fortress, importing weapons and expertise from Tehran while systematically rejecting peace initiatives and flouting ceasefire agreements brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations. Each ceasefire breakdown has been followed by renewed attacks against Israeli civilians—including indiscriminate rocket fire, cross-border raids, and tunnel infiltrations. These tactics are explicitly designed to sow terror, destabilize the region, and frustrate legitimate efforts to achieve lasting security and coexistence.
Israel’s operations are subjected to rigorous parliamentary oversight, judicial review, and scrutiny by an independent press, distinguishing them from the actions of non-state actors and terrorist organizations. The IDF operates under published rules of engagement and with the stated goal of restoring calm to its international borders—a goal repeatedly recognized by Western democracies as both lawful and morally justified. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lieutenant General Zamir have made clear that the ultimate objective remains the disbanding of Hamas’s terror infrastructure, the return of hostages, and the restoration of security for Israeli citizens. These aims have been consistently echoed by Israel’s allies, with the United States reaffirming its support for Israel’s right to self-defense in both bilateral statements and sessions of the United Nations Security Council.
The hostages held by Hamas since October 7 remain a tragic focal point for Israeli society and international diplomacy. Israeli officials distinguish—on clear moral and legal grounds—between Israeli men, women, and children kidnapped by Hamas and the convicted terrorists released in prisoner exchanges. Recent history, including high-profile lopsided exchanges, highlights the asymmetry central to this conflict: Israel valuing every innocent life, even at the risk of future attacks, while Hamas pursues maximalist demands unwilling to comply with international norms. This contrast in approaches underscores the profound differences between Israel—a recognized, democratic state with robust legal institutions—and its adversaries, who continue to call for its destruction in rhetoric and policy.
The events unfolding during Operation Gideon’s Chariots are not confined to the Gaza Strip but reverberate through the region’s conflict ecosystems. In Lebanon, Hezbollah remains on alert, with the risk of escalation ever present; in Yemen, Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes continue; Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq threaten further destabilization. The unity of action and intelligence sharing among Western allies—especially between Israel and the United States—remains critical. American officials work closely with their Israeli counterparts, ensuring that all operational developments are consistent with shared principles: the rejection of terrorism, protection of civilians, and the upholding of international law. This partnership reflects the continued importance of Israel as the West’s frontline democratic ally in a region dominated by authoritarian and theocratic regimes supporting terror networks.
The IDF’s campaign in Gaza is marked by clarity of purpose. Every destroyed tunnel, every captured weapons cache, and every neutralized terrorist represents a direct contribution to Israel’s security and, by extension, the wider security interests of the Western world. By confronting Iran-backed Hamas, Israel is not only defending its citizens but safeguarding the broader rules-based international order. The IDF’s transparent reporting, comprehensive documentation, and ongoing self-examination support continued public confidence in the legitimacy and necessity of the operation. While civilian suffering in Gaza remains a major concern and a tragic consequence of Hamas’s military strategy, the IDF’s approach demonstrates that, even in the most complex operating environments, democratic militaries can honor their humanitarian obligations.
In conclusion, the elimination of dozens of Hamas militants and the destruction of nearly 200 terror facilities by the IDF’s 98th Division in Operation Gideon’s Chariots is a significant development in Israel’s ongoing defensive campaign against Iranian-backed terror networks. These actions underscore Israel’s dedication to law, ethics, and legitimacy in the defense of its people and the Western order. The world’s attention must remain focused on the true sources of instability in the region, with sober recognition of the existential stakes for Israel and the West, and unambiguous support for the right of democracies to defend themselves against terror.
