Hamas: Here's What Will Happen If (When) Israel Storms Gaza City

Israel’s military has finalized plans for a major offensive to seize Gaza City, aiming to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages, amid growing concerns that the terror group may transfer captives into the city to hinder the operation, Israeli officials and media reports said.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s military chief of staff, approved the operational framework for Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which involves encircling and capturing Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed. The plan, endorsed by Israel’s security cabinet in early August, follows stalled ceasefire talks and targets Hamas’s remaining capabilities while addressing the fate of 50 hostages still held in Gaza, 30 of whom are believed dead, per Israeli estimates.

A critical concern is Hamas’ reported plan to move hostages into Gaza City, according to sources cited by Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. The group aims to intertwine the captives’ fate with the city’s civilians, potentially using them as leverage to deter Israel’s advance. Hamas has previously sought to preserve hostages’ lives for exchanges of Palestinian prisoners or a ceasefire, but sources indicated a shift in strategy, warning that the safety of Palestinian lives and property would be tied to the hostages’ fate if the offensive proceeds. “We cannot sit idly by amid Israeli crimes and attempts to displace our people again,” one source told the newspaper.

To mitigate civilian casualties, the IDF is preparing to evacuate Gaza City’s population to humanitarian zones in southern Gaza, a process expected to begin within two weeks and last less than two months, according to N12. “We are preparing for the complexity of moving the population,” Zamir said, noting the use of various tools to ensure civilians leave before troops move in. Indeed, Gazan reports indicate trucks loaded with tents, waiting at the Kerem Shalom crossing, to house Gazan civilians after the move. Recent airstrikes, which Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry (which continually lies through its teeth) said killed 123 people in the past 24 hours, including in Zeitoun and Sabra.

The hostage crisis has fueled domestic and international tension. In Israel, hostage families protested outside the cabinet meeting, calling the offensive a “death sentence” for their loved ones. Reserve and retired air force pilots rallied in Tel Aviv, warning the plan endangers captives, soldiers, and civilians. “This war and expansion will only cause more death,” said former pilot Guy Poran. Internationally, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged an immediate halt, warning of “unbearable suffering.” The EU’s Antonio Costa said the plan violates international law, threatening EU-Israel ties, while Germany suspended arms exports to Israel over escalating violence.

Gaza and Hamas like to pretend that the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. The UN reports 70% of Gaza is under militarized zones or displacement orders, with famine spreading as aid remains restricted. At least 235 people, including 106 children, have died of hunger since October 2023, per Gaza’s health ministry (run by the supremely trustworthy Hamas). Limited aid trucks recently entered southern Gaza with flour, baby food, and medical supplies, but distribution is disrupted by Hamas' armed terrorists stealing the aid.

As reported by Open Source Intel, "The only way to grasp Gaza’s food situation is by tracking market prices: Flour that cost $21–26 per kilo (about $9.50–12 per lb) weeks ago is down to about $4.70 per kilo ($2.10 per lb). Sugar has fallen from $78 per kilo ($35 per lb) to $13 per kilo ($5.90 per lb)."

Flour is so plentiful that Gazans actually dump it to make room for more exciting aid. Of course, Amnesty International continues to spread the famine narrative

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the offensive, stating Israel must “finish the job” against Hamas. In a Fox News interview, he denied plans to govern Gaza but suggested Arab forces manage it post-conflict, while reiterating calls to allow Palestinians to leave. You'd have to be locked up in a white coat to want to stay in Gaza these days, but it's more convenient to warn about 'forced displacement'.

Ceasefire talks in Cairo, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, remain stalled, with Hamas demanding an end to hostilities and Israel prioritizing hostage release and Hamas’s defeat. Hamas has reportedly received a new hostage and ceasefire proposal, but we have heard this countless times, and know that it means next to nothing.

Sources: N12, Asharq Al-Awsat, France 24