TEL AVIV, August 17. /TASS/. Israel’s operation Gideon’s Chariots has reached its goals and Israel will soon proceed to its next stage in Gaza City, Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said.

"Operation Gideon’s Chariots has met its objectives. Hamas no longer possesses the same capabilities it had before the operation; we have dealt it a severe blow," he said as quoted by the army press service. "Soon we will move on to the next stage of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, in which we will continue to deepen the harm to Hamas in Gaza City until its defeat."

According to Zamir, the army command on Sunday approved "the plan for the next stage of the war." "We will maintain the momentum of Operation Gideon’s Chariots while focusing on Gaza City," he stressed.

""We will continue to strike until Hamas is defeated, with our eyes on the hostages. We will act with a sophisticated, measured, and responsible strategy. The IDF will employ all its capabilities on land, in the air, and at sea in order to strike Hamas with force," Zamir pledged.

He noted that the offensive against Hamas is not "localized," but is part of a "long-term and planned program, with a multifront vision to strike all components of the axis, first and foremost Iran."

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing residents of border settlements and taking hostages. In response, Israel initiated a military operation in the Palestinian enclave to dismantle Hamas' military and political structures and free all hostages.

In March, 2025, the Israeli military resumed military operations in Gaza, breaking the ceasefire deal that had been reached in January. Several rounds of Qatar-, Egypt-, and the US-brokered talks were futile.

According to the latest data from the Israeli side, radicals continue holding 50 hostages in the Gaza Strip, with 20 of them being reportedly alive.