This column follows yesterday’s article, which provided background information on the Gaza War from its inception through August 2025. Today’s column provides a detailed look at the ongoing operation to capture Gaza City. IDF operations will continue until Hamas formally signs Trump’s peace deal and releases all of the hostages.

READ MORE: Hamas Reportedly Agrees to Release All Hostages

Current Operation: Operation Gideon’s Chariots B

On August 20, 2025, Netanyahu announced the follow-up full-scale offensive, Operation Gideon’s Chariots B. The goal of the Part B mission is to destroy Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade. The IDF plans to capture and hold the entirety of Gaza City, which is the capital and symbolic center of Hamas. Capturing the city and destroying all of its infrastructure would be a significant military accomplishment.

On September 5, the IDF started dropping 2,000-pound bombs on the Gaza City high-rises, collapsing some of them into piles of rubble. In preparation for the ground offensive, the IDF destroyed all the high-rise structures that Hamas could use for sniper or scouting positions. The high-rise buildings that could not be fully eliminated from the air were eventually demolished by ground forces using explosives after the operation began.

Gaza City is defended by a well-organized force of Hamas terrorists who are protected by extensive underground bases and tunnel networks. Hamas relies on guerrilla tactics, relocating thousands of terrorists away from the front lines. Small units are left behind that rotate in and out of the operating theater, conducting ambushes on IDF forces. The IDF estimates there are 2,500 Hamas terrorists left in Gaza City, with the rest fleeing southward along the coastal road to the Al‑Mawasi humanitarian area along Gaza’s southern coast.

In preparation for Operation Gideon’s Chariots B, the IDF called up 60,000 reservists, bringing the total force assembled to capture Gaza City to 130,000. This number includes infantry, tanks, and artillery. The majority of the soldiers leading the operation are young recruits from regular battalions who were in high school on October 7, 2023.

The IDF plans to systematically clear and demolish buildings above the detected tunnels. In previous operations, the IDF left these above-ground structures intact. Key tunnel access points will be isolated, scanned, and cleared, with pursuit operations conducted as needed. Afterwards, above-ground structures will be demolished.

Hamas’ RPG and sniper capabilities have been severely weakened from past operations. However, Hamas has evolved, disguising thousands of IEDs in buildings and streets where the IDF is operating. Hamas camouflages its IEDs within rubble, floors, or walls. Often, Hamas will use unexploded IDF munitions, including 107mm mortars and large Air Force bombs, for their IEDs. Hamas has also been known to fill abandoned IDF ammunition crates with cement and explosives and power them using solar panels. Hamas also hides hidden cameras near the IEDs to help with remote detonation. During preparations for Gideon’s Chariots B, IDF troops were provided special kits for detecting these explosive devices.

In 2025, the IDF began using Israeli-designed Atalef (English: Bat) suicide drones. These drones have about a three-mile range and can carry a six-pound explosive charge. The IDF has successfully used the Bat drone to kill hundreds of Hamas terrorists in 2025.

On the day Operation Gideon’s Chariots B was announced, the IDF estimated that over one million residents were living in the city, creating a population density of over 58,000 people per square mile. The IDF dropped leaflets urging the residents to flee Gaza City. The IDF opened multiple north-south routes to allow the civilian population to evacuate. However, by the time Operation Gideon’s Chariots B began on September 15, the IDF estimated that only about 350,000 of the one million residents had fled the city. The IDF has been using small munitions to create loud blasts that cause little damage in an effort to motivate civilians to flee. This is done ahead of the advancement of infantry and armored troops. Hamas has been violently preventing the rest of the population from leaving.

At 10 PM on September 15, the IDF advanced into Gaza City to begin the offensive. The operation began on the city’s outskirts, with the IDF advancing from the north, east, and south. In the north, the IDF advanced into the neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan; from the east, the IDF advanced into al-Karama; and from the south, the IDF advanced into Tel al-Hawa. The infantry advancement was preceded by heavy aerial bombardment, which could be heard as far away as Tel Aviv, which lies 42 miles to the north of Gaza City.

On September 16, Eyal Zamir became the first IDF Chief of Staff in Israel’s history to lead the IDF from the front lines. Zamir was accompanied by Yaniv Asor, Major General of the Southern Command. For reference, the IDF does not have any four-star generals, and the only three-star general currently is Eyal Zamir, the IDF Chief of Staff. Yaniv Asor reports directly to Eyal Zamir.

The IDF estimated it had captured about 40 percent of Gaza City after the first day of the operation and that another 130,000 reserve soldiers would be mobilized in the coming days. In addition to tanks, infantry, and Air Force bombardments, IDF helicopters were active in the northern parts of Gaza City all night. The IDF also began bombardments of the beach as it worked to advance from the east.

On September 17, Defense Minister Israel Katz put out the following statement on X: “Yesterday, with the start of the ground maneuver and the transfer of command responsibility to the division commanders in the field, 25 terror towers were destroyed in Gaza! A huge and significant number. To remove any sniper threat above the maneuvering forces, terrorists were neutralized, and terror infrastructure was destroyed. Gaza residents were required to move south for their own protection.”

On September 17, the IDF’s intelligence division released a statement revising its estimates of Hamas forces in Gaza City. The new estimate places about 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and 2,500 from Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF believes that the number includes teenagers tasked with observing IDF forces. Hamas continues to recruit manpower to make up for its losses in the field. This is why, despite the IDF having killed over 25,000 Hamas fighters since October 7, 2023, there are always more to take their place. The IDF believes about half of the living Israeli hostages are being held inside Gaza City.

On September 18, the commander of the 82nd Armored Battalion “Ga’ash” (English: Quake) revealed that “Every tank carries a sheet with the hostages’ photos.” The tank crews are mentally prepared for the possibility that at any moment there could be an order to halt fire because a hostage has been spotted. The IDF is planning to rotate tanks in and out of battle on a regular basis for deep maintenance. IDF soldiers will fight in shifts of three to four weeks and then be sent to the back lines to recuperate. This is different than the immediate aftermath of October 7, 2023, when nearly every reservist was called into service and remained in combat for months.

The IDF’s intelligence gathering has improved since October 7, 2023. At the onset of the war, the IDF didn’t know exactly which Hamas bases to target first. This time, the IDF knows exactly where the strongholds are and is prepared to proceed cautiously to achieve its objectives. The armored division, along with combat engineers, will systematically collapse buildings; however, buildings must be searched and cleared to recover intelligence before they are demolished.

On September 22, the IDF announced a major expansion of operations in Gaza City. The 36th Armored Division joined the 162nd Armored Division and the Tzanhanim (35th Paratroopers Brigade) as the combined forces worked together to encircle Gaza City. By September 23, IDF forces had reached the neighborhood of Sabra in western Gaza City. The IDF troops uncovered Hamas submachine guns, ammunition, tunnel shafts in civilian buildings, and surveillance cameras. The IDF Air Force intercepted a rocket that was launched toward the Nahal Oz Kibbutz.

On September 24, the IDF released footage of Hamas terrorists attacking Israeli forces from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The Al-Shifa Hospital is currently active and open to patients. This is typical of Hamas strategies where they operate from hospitals, schools, mosques, and UNRWA installations. The IDF has not made a decision if or when it plans to capture the hospital.

On September 27, it was reported in the Israeli media that all daily movements of brigade combat teams are approved by Eyal Zamir, the IDF Chief of Staff. Zamir wants to ensure the IDF units advance slowly behind a wall of heavy artillery and air strikes. These tactics are different from nearly all previous wars in which the IDF had engaged, in which rapid maneuvering and advancement were prioritized to overwhelm the enemy, capture a large area, and force an end to the war quickly. However, since the Gaza war requires long periods of urban warfare, the IDF is tasked with ensuring its forces operate under the new guidelines, which are different from what they are used to.

The IDF established new logistical outposts in Gaza City and on the coast for the 98th, 162nd, and 36th Divisions. These outposts were fortified with earthen combat berms to prepare for a prolonged offensive. The outposts will serve as maintenance depots for tanks, APCs, and engineering vehicles. The IDF is installing fuel and water pipelines along with a seawater desalination facility. Eventually, the outposts will be built up to provide showers, rest facilities, gear replacement, and special meals for units rotating behind the front lines for a few days.

The Combined Arms 143rd Division and the 99th Infantry Division are providing defensive support on the outskirts of Gaza City to ensure the eastern half of the Netzarim Corridor, which is south of Gaza City, remains open as a supply route. When the IDF reaches the underground bases and main tunnel network in central and western Gaza City, the 99th Division will close the entire Netzarim Corridor all the way to the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, soldiers from IDF engineering battalions positioned bulldozers and trucks packed with explosives near tall buildings in preparation for the demolition of hundreds of buildings.

On September 28, the IDF’s 98th Division completed encirclement of the UNRWA Shati refugee camp in preparation for an assault. The Shati Camp is a crowded and densely built-up urban area and a major Hamas stronghold along the northern coast of Gaza City. The IDF estimates that hundreds of Hamas terrorists remain in tunnels in preparation for guerrilla ambushes and heavy mortar fire when the IDF advances within the camp’s limits. The IDF estimates that Hamas has recruited new terrorists from the “civilian” population to rebuild its Shati Battalion with a high level of command-and-control infrastructure.

The IDF expects the capture of Shati Camp to be complex and lengthy, taking upwards of two and a half months to clear all the tunnels and destroy all the buildings above them. The IDF is aware that hostages might be present inside the camp. One IDF commander said, “Every company commander carries a notebook with the hostages’ names and photos.” Rules of engagement are carefully designed to avoid endangering hostages.

On September 29, Trump’s peace plan was announced during the joint press conference with Netanyahu. Since then, the IDF has been ordered to continue its operations until it is told to stand down. Assuming that Hamas does not comply with the peace deal and the Gaza war rages on, the IDF anticipates Operation Gideon’s Chariots B will be completed by January. The IDF further anticipates that even in the best-case scenario, Hamas is not expected to be decisively defeated during Gideon’s Chariots B. Once the operation concludes, it will be followed up by Gideon’s Chariots C, whose operational goals have yet to be made public.

Following Trump’s announcement on Friday, October 3, that Israel stop bombing Gaza, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to implement a unilateral ceasefire beginning at 3 AM Saturday, October 4, Israeli time (5 PM PST / 8 PM EST, Friday, October 3). The terms of the unilateral ceasefire are as follows.

The IDF halted all offensive maneuvers and only defensive operations will be undertaken. Soldiers will be allowed to return fire if they feel threatened, but such actions must be approved by squad commanders. The IDF has reinforced its units all across the southern Gaza Strip, especially near Khan Younis, the Philadelphi Corridor, and defensive outposts along the buffer zone inside Gaza. In Gaza City, the IDF is installing additional surveillance measures, including drones and UAVs.

The unilateral pause by the IDF is designed so that Netanyahu can say it is part of Trump’s plan, with the hope that it puts more pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. The IDF released a statement on its English‑language X account that said, “In accordance with the directives from the political echelon, the Chief of the General Staff instructed the IDF to advance readiness for the implementation of the first phase of the Trump plan for the release of the hostages.”

The Chief of the General Staff convened a special situation assessment in light of recent developments.

In accordance with the directives from the political echelon, the Chief of the General Staff instructed to advance readiness for the implementation of the first phase of the…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 4, 2025

The IDF has no plans to move its soldiers to the withdrawal line until a deal is reached and Hamas signs on the dotted line to release all 48 hostages. If the talks collapse, the IDF plans to resume the war. A senior IDF officer is quoted as saying, “This is not the end of the war, but it’s a pause to give diplomacy a chance.”

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