JERUSALEM, May 25, 2025 — Can Israel’s all-out military push defeat Hamas, or will it deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis? The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has deployed all its standing army infantry and armored brigades to the Gaza Strip, local media reported Saturday, marking a significant escalation in its war against Hamas. As airstrikes and ground operations intensify, the operation—named “Gideon’s Chariots”—raises fears of mounting civilian casualties and displacement.
Full-Scale Deployment Signals Aggressive Offensive
The IDF’s deployment includes elite units like Golani, Paratroopers, Givati, Commando, Kfir, Nahal, 7th, 188th, and 401st brigades, alongside some reserve units, totaling tens of thousands of troops across five divisions, per Kan News. Launched on May 18, 2025, after a ceasefire collapsed on March 18, Operation Gideon’s Chariots aims to dismantle Hamas, secure 58 remaining hostages (24 believed alive), and control Gaza, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The IDF reported striking 670 Hamas targets, including tunnels, but fighting is concentrated in northern Gaza and Khan Younis.
Devastating Impact on Gaza’s Civilians
The offensive has taken a heavy toll. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 3,747 deaths since March 18, 2025, with a total of 53,901 killed since October 7, 2023, when Hamas’s attack killed 1,200 Israelis. A May 18 airstrike in Khan Younis’s al-Mawasi area killed 36 displaced Palestinians in tents, per medical sources. Another strike on May 24 killed nine of a doctor’s ten children, leaving the surviving child critically injured. The IDF’s May 19 evacuation order for Khan Younis displaced 500,000 people, with 69% of Gaza now under evacuation orders, the UN estimates. A blockade since March has restricted aid, with only 119 trucks entering via Karem Shalom, despite Israel’s claim of 388.
Hamas Resistance and IDF Losses
Hamas’s Qassam Brigades are fighting back, engaging in “fierce point-blank clashes” in Rafah’s El Geneina, Al Jazeera reported on May 8. An explosion in Rafah killed Golani Brigade troops, highlighting the risks. Hamas demands a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and prisoner releases, rejecting disarmament, while Netanyahu vows to maintain control and encourage “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians, a plan critics call ethnic cleansing. The IDF’s slow advance, prioritizing security, was ordered by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Southern Command’s Yaniv Asur.
Internal Dissent and Global Outcry
The operation faces resistance within Israel. Reservists like Eran Tamir are refusing service, citing an unwinnable war, per a May 14 New Yorker report. Allegations of misconduct, including the March 23 killing of 15 Palestinian paramedics in Rafah by Golani troops, have sparked outrage. The IDF admitted “professional failures” after UN reports described the medics being shot “one by one.” Médecins Sans Frontières called Gaza a “mass grave” for civilians and aid workers, with 1,060 healthcare workers killed since October 2023.
Uncertain Path Ahead
The IDF’s full deployment signals resolve to crush Hamas, but the humanitarian cost is staggering. The UN warns of famine risks, and Egypt opposes displacement plans. With no hostage deal in sight, the operation’s success depends on balancing military gains with global pressure. As of May 25, 2025, Gaza remains a battleground, with Israel’s defenders facing a complex fight against Hamas’s resilience and a worsening crisis.
Sources:
- The Times of Israel, “IDF Deploys All Standing Army Infantry, Armored Brigades to Gaza,” May 24, 2025.
- Euronews, “IDF Deploys All Standing Army Infantry and Armored Brigade to Gaza,” May 25, 2025.
- Israel National News, “All in: IDF Deploys Entire Infantry and Armored Forces into Gaza,” May 24, 2025.
- The New Yorker, “Israeli Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Gaza,” May 14, 2025.
- X posts on IDF Gaza operations, May 16–25, 2025.