Gaza Strip: In what is being described as one of the deadliest escalations yet, the Israeli military has launched a massive ground and air campaign under the name "Gideon's Chariots" — a biblical-sounding operation aimed at “conquering” Gaza and placing it under full Israeli control.
The operation, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet on May 5, marks the first official declaration of Israel’s intent to seize and retain the entire Palestinian territory of Gaza — a move that is being widely condemned as open occupation.
In the past 24 hours, the Israeli army claimed to have made the “first moves” of this campaign, launching extensive bombardments and deploying ground forces to seize what it calls “strategic areas” of Gaza.
According to the Israeli statement, Operation Gideon’s Chariots is intended to fulfill all of Israel's war goals — including the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas. But the brutality on the ground tells a different story.
In just three days, over 370 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. On Friday alone, at least 74 Palestinians, most of them women and children, were confirmed dead. The Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia reported receiving 30 bodies and dozens more injured, as Israeli bombs rained down on densely populated neighborhoods.
In one of the most harrowing nights, Israel reportedly dropped over 40 U.S.-made bunker buster bombs near the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, claiming to target underground resistance tunnels.
Eyewitnesses describe scenes of horror — bloodied children, overwhelmed hospitals, and entire families buried under rubble. Gaza’s northern regions have become apocalyptic wastelands, while the Israeli military openly speaks of pushing civilians southward, raising fears of a full-scale ethnic cleansing.
The latest wave of bloodshed comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the region, drawing sharp criticism over Washington’s continued support for Israel’s military campaign.
Since the October 7, 2023 outbreak of war, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. While a brief ceasefire deal was brokered in January, it was quickly shattered, and Israel resumed its attacks on March 18, ignoring calls for a renewed truce.
Now, with “Gideon’s Chariots” in motion, the question looms large: Is this the final phase of Gaza’s destruction — or a turning point that will awaken the world’s conscience?
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