Israel intensifies airstrikes and targets Hamas tunnel networks as ceasefire deal gains traction in Washington. Netanyahu apparently has Washington’s agreement to end Hamas, flatten Gaza, encourage emigration of Gazans and invite cooperation of UAE and Egypt under Israeli security and US guidance. There is an opening for a short-term deal on favorable terms.

In the last 24 hours, the war in Gaza has reached another boiling point. Israeli forces have significantly escalated their military campaign while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Washington, pursues what he calls a “new strategic doctrine” to destroy Hamas militarily and isolate it diplomatically. Both tracks—the kinetic and the diplomatic—are now converging in what may be the most pivotal moment of the Swords of Iron War since it began nine months ago.

IDF Expands Operations in Gaza

On the ground, the IDF executed over 100 airstrikes throughout Gaza during the past day, striking Hamas weapons storage facilities, rocket launchers, underground infrastructure, and command centers. Heavy fighting was reported in Khan Younis and in the Zeitoun and Shejaiya neighborhoods of Gaza City.

In the most harrowing incident, Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay, 25, of Yitzhar, was killed in Khan Younis while operating an IDF engineering vehicle. According to the IDF, Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel shaft and attempted to abduct him. Azulay resisted and was shot dead in the struggle. The abduction attempt failed as nearby Israeli troops responded rapidly.

Meanwhile, in the north of the Gaza Strip, five soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade were killed and 14 wounded in Beit Hanoun after militants detonated a series of explosive devices hidden in a building rigged with booby traps. As the unit began to evacuate its wounded, it was ambushed with sustained small arms fire from adjacent structures. IDF helicopters evacuated the injured under cover of fire.

A New Strategic Framework

In Washington, Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump and top American officials, including Secretary of State Robert O’Brien and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. At the heart of the discussions: a proposed phased ceasefire agreement that would secure the release of ten Israeli hostages, repatriate the bodies of nine others, and initiate a 60-day truce.

But Netanyahu made clear that the ceasefire is only one element of a larger plan—what he called a “new strategy for destroying Hamas.”

“Hamas must be eradicated. Not contained. Not deterred. Destroyed,” Netanyahu said at a joint press appearance with Trump. “That is the objective, and we will not stop halfway. Any temporary ceasefire is exactly that—temporary. It is a means to achieve the end of Hamas rule and terror in Gaza.”

He emphasized that the goal of the war had never changed, even as tactics evolve. “No one in Israel wants a forever war. But we also cannot return to a status quo where Israeli children sleep beside shelters and Hamas rebuilds bunkers under schools. This time, we finish it.”

Asked by an American journalist whether Israel would accept a deal that leaves Hamas in power, Netanyahu was blunt: “No. No Hamas means no rockets, no tunnels, no Iranian cash, no terror. Hamas must disarm, surrender, and vanish.”

He also clarified Israel’s position on hostages: “We will bring them home, every one of them, alive or dead. But we will not pay a price that endangers the rest of Israel or empowers Hamas. It is possible—and necessary—to achieve both: freedom for the hostages, and freedom from Hamas.”

Witkoff: “Closer Than Ever”

Steve Witkoff, the Trump-appointed special envoy leading the ceasefire negotiations, said in a statement that the parties were “closer than ever to a structured, enforceable ceasefire that meets Israel’s red lines.”

He added, “There is broad agreement on the first phase: hostages for quiet. But more importantly, we are designing a phased demilitarization of Gaza and the creation of a post-Hamas administration. This is not about returning to October 6. This is about never returning to October 7.”

Witkoff emphasized that the deal’s success depends on “ongoing pressure” and praised Netanyahu’s resolve. “We’ve seen Bibi here—not bending, but building. Building a coalition for postwar Gaza. And building an alliance with Arab partners who understand that Hamas is not just Israel’s enemy, but theirs too.”

Humanitarian Crisis Worsens

Even as ceasefire talks progress, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a critical threshold. The United Nations and aid agencies warn that medical services are collapsing. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has run out of generator fuel and is now operating on emergency solar power, unable to perform surgeries or sustain neonatal incubators.

UN agencies say the blockade on fuel—intended to prevent Hamas from hijacking supplies for tunnel excavation and rocket launches—is also crippling civilian infrastructure. The IDF has responded by offering tightly controlled aid corridors, but the UN claims that only a fraction of needed supplies are getting through.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial U.S.- and Israeli-funded organization, has continued to distribute aid via controlled drop zones. But these zones have become flashpoints. According to Palestinian sources, over 700 people have died and thousands more injured near GHF distributions since late May—many trampled in stampedes or caught in nearby combat.

Israeli officials defend the GHF model. “The chaos is not caused by us, but by Hamas operatives exploiting civilians as human shields,” said an IDF spokesman. “We are trying to feed the people of Gaza while defeating their oppressors.”

Trump-Netanyahu: “Synchronized” Strategy

President Trump, in his second meeting with Netanyahu in less than a week, echoed the Israeli leader’s hard line.

“We’re not here to negotiate with terrorists. We’re here to end terrorism,” Trump said. “If Hamas wants quiet, they’ll have to disarm. If they don’t, we’ll back Israel to finish the job.”

Trump called the proposed agreement “the best path forward for both peace and strength,” and said that “any postwar plan must ensure that Gaza becomes demilitarized, deradicalized, and decoupled from Iran.”

Netanyahu thanked Trump for his support and praised their alignment: “President Trump understands the stakes. We are in sync—not just tactically, but strategically. This is not just about Gaza. It’s about the future of the Middle East.”

Beyond the Ceasefire: What Comes Next?

In off-record briefings, Israeli officials described a long-term strategy they have presented to U.S. counterparts. It includes:

• Continued IDF raids into Gaza during any ceasefire to target remaining Hamas cells.
• A regional security framework involving Egypt and potentially the UAE to stabilize Gaza.
• A gradual introduction of non-Hamas Palestinian administrative figures, possibly under Jordanian or Arab League auspices.
• An American-led reconstruction fund, contingent on verified demilitarization.

Netanyahu’s aides also confirmed that a special envoy would travel to Cairo to brief Egyptian and Emirati officials in the coming days.

No Illusions, No Surrender

Despite cautious optimism, no Israeli official is under illusions about Hamas voluntarily stepping down. Netanyahu said it plainly: “There is no scenario in which Hamas walks away quietly. But there is a scenario in which Hamas loses everything—its grip, its guns, and its godfather in Tehran.”

He added that “Israel has the stamina and the strength to see this through. We don’t seek to reoccupy Gaza permanently, but we also won’t let a failed terror regime remain next door.”

When asked whether Israel was willing to extend the war into southern Lebanon, given yesterday’s surprise incursion north of Israel’s security border, Netanyahu replied: “We are not looking for a two-front war, but we are fully prepared for one. If Hezbollah opens the northern gate, it will regret it deeply.”