Yedioth Ahronoth Explores Israel's Options in Gaza After the Conclusion of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots'

Translation by SadaNews - On Friday, Yedioth Ahronoth published a report regarding the options available to Israel for action in the Gaza Strip following the conclusion of Operation "Gideon's Chariots" and the withdrawal of some brigades and divisions from the area.

According to the Hebrew newspaper, as translated by SadaNews, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir proposed implementing limited ground operations in areas where Israel has not previously operated to compel Hamas to make concessions towards completing a partial deal.

The newspaper indicated that the goal is to conduct operations in camps in the center of the sector and Gaza City, aimed at acting against the brigades of both areas, after the Israeli army succeeded in defeating Hamas brigades in Rafah, Khan Yunis, and the north, according to its claim.

It pointed out that there is another proposal from security and political entities advocating for conducting extensive operations even at the expense of the lives of hostages in Gaza.

According to the paper, Israel currently faces three options: the first is to continue pressure through a blockade and attrition strategy while continuing targeted aerial strikes and precise ground operations; the second is to carry out a wide-scale ground operation aimed at achieving a complete battlefield victory and destroying Hamas's remaining strongholds.

The third option involves initiating a broad political move that includes a public or private proposal to halt all fighting completely and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces in exchange for the return of all hostages, both alive and dead.

Yedioth Ahronoth noted, as translated by SadaNews, that Netanyahu is seriously considering this step after agreeing with the United States to transition to a comprehensive deal that guarantees the disarmament of Hamas.

Senior security officials believe that this option has strategic benefits that may allow for revealing Hamas's positions and legitimizing the conduct of extensive operations in the future if the movement rejects any deal.

The newspaper stated: If this step fails, it may grant Israel broad popular, political, and international legitimacy to renew a comprehensive ground offensive as an inevitable step, and in this case, Israel would enter Gaza from a superior ideological and political position, allowing it greater freedom in facing increasing international pressures and internal criticisms, thereby presenting an opportunity for Israel to overthrow Hamas's rule.

An Israeli political official stated that partial deals are over, and that all remaining hostages in Gaza should be recovered through a comprehensive deal, which requires a long time and difficult negotiations.

Netanyahu agreed with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to shift from a partial deal to a comprehensive deal that would end the war in exchange for disarming Hamas.

The newspaper believes that the decision essentially means a return to the starting point, complicating matters, as Israel has not changed its conditions, insisting on disarming the sector and expelling senior Hamas leaders, which the movement rejects, as it accepts a third condition related to forming a technocratic government to lead Gaza.

It noted that the difficulty of negotiations will also be in Hamas's desire to renegotiate the terms of prisoner exchanges, as it will strive to secure the release of as many militants as possible, and it is likely to demand the release of Israeli jails from those serving life sentences.

According to the paper, as per SadaNews's translation, the change in the American approach began during a meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, one of the strongest figures in Donald Trump's administration, and Israeli officials, when Rubio realized that the partial agreement had political motivations in Israel, so the war does not end, and thus, there is a need for a comprehensive agreement, not only for Hamas's approval but to continue making progress towards an agreement.

Rubio's political acumen surprised his Israeli interlocutors, who understood that the Secretary of State was aware that Netanyahu was under pressure from Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

The newspaper pointed out a halt in talks between Hamas and Israel, noting that Witkoff is to visit Gaza today to follow up on the humanitarian situation that Hamas is demanding to improve to return to negotiations.

It is predicted that important decisions may be made in the coming days, as the chances of progress in talks are extremely slim, anticipating that Witkoff may currently stay in Israel and the region, which could imply that decisive decisions regarding Gaza's future situation are not expected in Israel.