Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir were scheduled to convene Tuesday to discuss strategic options for Gaza, just days ahead of a critical cabinet meeting. The agenda: how to handle the complex hostage situation and whether to expand IDF operations in the strip.

The meeting comes just days after the IDF wrapped up its successful operation against Iran — Operation “Rising Lion” — and shifts full attention back to Gaza. On the ground, the IDF’s 36th Division, led by Brig. Gen. Moran Omer, is intensifying operations in Khan Younis (southern Gaza) and its eastern districts. Combat teams are systematically exposing underground infrastructure and dismantling remaining Hamas command-and-control centers.

Intelligence presented to Katz confirms that 90% of Hamas’s southern Khan Younis battalion capabilities have been eliminated. Yet, remaining pockets of resistance persist, relying on guerrilla tactics: sniper fire, IEDs, and drones. These smaller units operate from buildings and tunnels — many recently uncovered and neutralized by the IDF.

Officials confirm that Hamas fighters, despite losses, continue to exploit the hostage issue. They embed themselves within civilian areas and use captives as human shields — a challenge that IDF field commanders say is now the crux of the operational dilemma.

“The true breakthrough,” one officer told Walla News, “will come when we succeed in separating Hamas from the population.” The IDF is reportedly seeing growing discontent among some Gaza clans toward Hamas, especially when aid distribution bypasses the terror group — a dynamic that could be leveraged to undermine Hamas’s grip.

In parallel, security preparations are underway should a ceasefire deal fail. Additional units have been deployed to secure a widened logistics corridor, allowing the rapid deployment of heavy engineering equipment deeper into the strip. This follows a tragic incident in which seven IDF soldiers were killed in an armored personnel carrier explosion, prompting new tactical adaptations.

The next 72 hours will be pivotal. With increasing international pressure and internal cabinet divisions, Netanyahu must choose: escalate the war to fully conquer Gaza — or opt for a politically risky ceasefire and hostage deal. Either way, the IDF is ready.

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