Israeli army begins implementing plan to "permanentize occupation of Gaza"

On May 17, the Israeli army announced that it had begun implementing a plan to "expand and make permanent its occupation of Gaza," with the approval of the security cabinet.

The army said in a statement that troops were mobilized and that throughout the day, large-scale attacks were launched on strategic areas in Gaza. The operation, dubbed "Gideon's Chariots," was launched as a new phase by the Israeli government, which has failed to achieve its goals of crushing Hamas and freeing Israeli prisoners in the war that has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.

According to The Times of Israel, these attacks are aimed at establishing a permanent Israeli occupation of Gaza and forcibly displacing Palestinians to its south.

The attacks have intensified during US President Donald Trump's Middle East tour. Israeli airstrikes have destroyed scores of schools, hospitals, civilian infrastructure and the tents of displaced Palestinians. It was reported that 113 Palestinians were killed in the attacks yesterday alone.

The Israeli security cabinet approved a plan on May 4 to "permanently" occupy Gaza. The plan consists of three stages, and if a ceasefire is not reached by the end of Trump's Middle East trip, the second stage will be to intensify attacks and push the Palestinians south. The Israeli army also does not plan to withdraw from the occupied territories this time and aims to maintain the occupation there.