Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
As the Israeli military offensive on Gaza City enters its third day, details have emerged of a meticulously planned three-phase operation, described by Israeli military sources as “unprecedented” in both scale and strategy. The plan, devised by Southern Command chief General Yaniv Asor, marks a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign in the densely populated enclave, raising urgent humanitarian and political concerns across the region.
According to Israeli media outlet Walla, which cited senior military sources, the assault is structured in three distinct phases. The first, known as the “Fire Phase,” involves intensive and wide-scale bombardment designed to systematically dismantle Gaza’s infrastructure. This phase includes nocturnal strikes using advanced weaponry and, notably, the deployment of ground-based and subterranean robotic systems.
The second phase shifts to a ground invasion guided by a “rapid fire, slower advance” approach. Infantry units move cautiously but are backed by heavy artillery and air support. The aim, according to military sources, is to minimize Israeli casualties while maintaining pressure on Palestinian fighters.
The final phase, still partially classified, is described as a high-security operation that consolidates control through the use of unprecedented levels of combined military force. Intelligence services, hostage affairs units, and special operations teams have all been involved in shaping the operation’s details over the past two months.
“This is unlike anything Gaza has experienced before,” one Israeli source told Walla. “We are only in the second night, and the intensity is already unmatched.”
Operation Expands as Displacement Surges
Codenamed “Gideon’s Chariots 2,” the ongoing offensive has so far involved the 98th and 162nd Israeli brigades conducting maneuvers deep inside Gaza City. The Israeli army reports that over 150 Hamas-linked targets have been hit in the past 48 hours, including weapons depots and underground tunnels. Simultaneously, Gaza Division (Unit 143) is conducting operations in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.
The Israeli military has claimed the killing of around 200 Hamas fighters since the beginning of the ground operation. However, Palestinian sources and humanitarian agencies have highlighted the disproportionate impact on civilians, with extensive damage to residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
To facilitate the movement of civilians, the Israeli army announced the opening of a “temporary humanitarian corridor” via Salah al-Din Street, which runs the length of the Gaza Strip. The corridor is intended to allow the evacuation of Gaza City residents toward the south during a limited 48-hour window, but United Nations officials stress that no area in Gaza can currently be considered safe.
Despite the corridor’s opening, close to 400,000 Palestinians have already fled southward in recent days, according to UN estimates. The majority remain in overcrowded shelters or public buildings, with little access to clean water, food, or medical aid. The humanitarian crisis, already dire, is growing exponentially and Israel plans to displace 2 million Palestinians between the Morag corridor and the Egyptian border.
Israeli Leadership Signals Intent to “Crush” Hamas
Israel’s Defense Minister Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have both used combative language to describe the military objectives. Gallant warned that Gaza would be turned into a “grave marker for Hamas,” while Netanyahu threatened severe retaliation if any harm came to Israeli hostages. “If a single hair is touched on any hostage’s head, we will hunt Hamas down with more force than they could ever imagine,” he declared in a televised press conference.
Netanyahu also accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, a claim echoed by other Israeli officials, and used to justify the intensified bombing campaign. Human rights groups, however, have urged restraint, pointing to the devastating toll on non-combatants and the potential violation of international law.
Regional Fallout and Diplomatic Tensions
The offensive has not only escalated the military situation on the ground but also amplified regional tensions. Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza and has traditionally played a mediation role, has repeatedly warned against any attempts at the forced displacement of Palestinians.
In a phone call with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty reiterated Cairo’s unwavering rejection of any population transfer, stating, “Egypt categorically refuses the displacement of Palestinians under any pretext. Such actions are a threat to regional stability and a direct blow to the Palestinian cause.”
As the Gaza operation unfolds and the civilian toll mounts, calls for a ceasefire continue to grow internationally. Yet with Israeli forces entrenched in the north and Palestinian fighters regrouping in the south, the prospect of an immediate resolution appears remote.
Meanwhile, the suffering of Gaza’s civilian population intensifies by the hour, and the world watches anxiously as a full-scale humanitarian disaster takes shape, with little sign of reprieve.
