Israel approves plan to capture all of Gaza, calls up tens of thousands of reserve troops

Israel intends to root out Hamas from southern Gaza

Anders Hagstrom / Fox News

Israeli officials approved a plan to capture all of Gaza and hold it indefinitely on Monday, hours after the military announced it was calling up tens of thousands of reserve troops.

Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote on Monday, but it will only take effect if a hostage deal is not reached by the time President Donald Trump visits Israel on May 13. Israel currently controls roughly 50% of Gaza, and the plan would see Israeli forces expand into the south. Officials said the plan is set to be implemented gradually, with Israeli forces rooting out Hamas control over territories.

The plan, dubbed Operation Gideon's Chariots, would also seek to prevent the militant Hamas group from distributing humanitarian aid, which Israel says strengthens the group’s rule in Gaza. It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself to bolster its capabilities. The plan also included powerful strikes against Hamas targets, the officials said.

"We want our troops to fight against a tired, hungry, and exhausted enemy, not one that has supplies and aid coming from outside the strip," Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement.

Violence in Gaza has ramped up once again in the weeks since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March. The IDF has also vowed to increase operations against the Houthis in Yemen after the terrorist group fired a missile that landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation for the attack Sunday and participated in several defense meetings throughout the day. The missile reportedly evaded both Israeli and U.S. missile defenses, according to Israeli media.

"Whoever harms us, we will strike them sevenfold," affirmed Defense Minister Israel Katz.

At least eight people were injured in the missile strike, though none of the injuries were life-threatening. Israel has not yet confirmed any specific military retaliation.

Netanyahu noted that the Houthis are an Iran-backed group and said responsibility for the strike ultimately lies with Tehran. He said Israel will retaliate "at a time and place of our choosing."

Over the weekend, the Israeli Air Force says it struck over 100 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including terrorist cells, tunnels, underground infrastructure sites, and other military structures. 

Palestinians travel in the ruins of Gaza City, Gaza, on Feb. 2, 2025.  (Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

IDF troops operating in southern Gaza also located weapons caches in the area, dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites, and eliminated a number of terrorists. See video here.