After Iran war, Israel eyes new Gaza campaign

Once the war in Iran is over, Israel will give Hamas an ultimatum, officials say, and launch a new operation in the Gaza Strip if the terror group refuses to disarm.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s defense establishment is gearing up for a new ground operation in the Gaza Strip, security officials say, once the air campaign against Iran has been completed.

On Sunday, Israel Hayom published a report citing Israeli officials with knowledge of the IDF’s preparations for renewed hostilities in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF expects Operation Roaring Lion against the Islamic Republic to continue for several more weeks, during which no major operations will be undertaken in Gaza.

However, once the war with Iran has ended, Israel is expected to issue an ultimatum to Hamas, giving the terror group a deadline for disarming – or facing a new IDF offensive in Gaza.

Israeli officials believe Hamas is unlikely to accept disarmament, thus making an IDF operation virtually inevitable.

According to the Israel Hayom report, military planners are eyeing a new kind of ground campaign in Gaza. Unlike past IDF operations in the coastal enclave, the proposed operation will not be an open-ended ground invasion.

Rather, officials describe it as a final stage in the war with Hamas, with the goal of disarming the terror group, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, and dismantling Hamas’ remaining military and arms manufacturing capabilities.

The IDF estimates that Hamas has suffered serious damage from the two years of war with Israel, though the terror group still retains significant capabilities and is working to expand its arsenal, with smuggling efforts – including drone-based smuggling – via Egypt and southern Israel.

While Israel has curtailed the large-scale rearmament operations in Gaza, the IDF has continued to detect smaller weapons smuggling attempts.