Key Facts
- Operation codename
- Operation Gideon's Chariots
- Approved by cabinet
- 4 May 2025
- Officially launched
- 16 May 2025
- IDF-claimed territorial control
- ~65% of Gaza Strip (as of 4 July 2025)
- Hamas counter-offensive
- Stones of David (ambushes and small-scale operations)
- Second phase launched
- Operation Gideon's Chariots II, 20 August 2025
Strategic Narrative Overview
The offensive was formally launched on 16 May 2025. By early July, the IDF claimed control of roughly 65% of the Gaza Strip, though this figure was disputed. Hamas launched a parallel counter-offensive called Stones of David, employing ambushes and small-scale operations against Israeli forces. The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the campaign as tantamount to ethnic cleansing. On 4 August, Israeli sources reported the first phase had concluded.
01 / The Origins
Israel's security cabinet approved an expanded military offensive in the Gaza Strip on 4 May 2025, as a continuation of its broader war against Hamas following the October 2023 conflict. The operation, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, sought to destroy Hamas's military and governing infrastructure and assert Israeli control over approximately three quarters of the Gaza Strip through combined land, air, and naval force.
03 / The Outcome
Israeli sources announced the end of the first phase on 4 August 2025, acknowledging it had not achieved all key aims, though the primary territorial objective of capturing 75% of the Strip was reported as met. On 20 August, Israel launched Operation Gideon's Chariots II, targeting Gaza City, indicating the conflict remained active with no ceasefire or formal resolution reached.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent