Gideon’s Chariots II: Israel approves new military plan to capture Gaza

Israel has approved a fresh military operation aimed at seizing control of Gaza City, Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on August 20.

The campaign, named Gideon’s Chariots II, is being presented as a continuation of an earlier offensive that brought around 75% of the Gaza Strip under Israeli operational control, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

Under the new plan, up to 60,000 reservists will be mobilised in addition to the 20,000 already deployed alongside conscript soldiers inside the territory.

Call-up notices are being issued from Wednesday, with the operation expected to begin later this week.

Operation Gideon’s Chariots was a major Israeli offensive launched on May 16–17, 2025, across the Gaza Strip. Endorsed by Israel’s Security Cabinet, its declared aims included dismantling Hamas’s military and governance capabilities, liberating Israeli hostages, and gaining control over approximately three-quarters of Gaza.

Over the ensuing months, Israeli forces—including air and ground units—conducted intense assaults, seizing key areas and dismantling extensive terror infrastructure, while also displacing civilians toward southern zones.

By early August, the operation was being wound down, but core objectives remained unfulfilled: Hamas was not defeated, hostages were not fully released, and mass civilian displacement had yet to materialise as planned.

By Aghakazim Guliyev