Israel Launches Major Gaza Offensive After Trump Departs Middle East

The Israeli military launched a fresh offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday night, just hours after President Donald Trump concluded a high-profile trip to the Middle East — a development that follows reported tensions between the Trump administration and Israeli officials.

Dubbed Gideon’s Chariots, the operation involves extensive airstrikes and troop mobilizations with the stated goal of defeating Hamas and securing the release of Israeli hostages, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

BREAKING:

The ground invasion component of Operation Gideon’s Chariots has started.

After amassing in staging areas yesterday, a huge number of Israeli tanks have now rolled deep into Hamas-held territory in Gaza.

They have taken a lot of territory near Deir al-Balah, with… pic.twitter.com/bbSJxr3dfb

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 17, 2025

“The operation will achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza,” the IDF announced on social media. Local health authorities in Gaza said the overnight strikes killed at least 58 people, bringing the reported death toll to over 300 since Thursday.

Trump, who did not stop in Israel during his four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, expressed concern about the conflict. “We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving,” he told reporters Friday.

The situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond description, beyond atrocious & beyond inhumane.

A policy of siege & starvation makes a mockery of international law. The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately.

This is a moment for moral clarity & action. pic.twitter.com/ZsIzwo4tdp

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 17, 2025

The launch of Israel’s latest offensive appeared to underscore growing divergence between the president’s diplomatic approach and Israel’s military strategy. Washington has reportedly pursued direct deals with Hamas and Houthi rebels in Yemen in recent weeks — steps that some in Israel see as undermining their security interests. (RELATED: ‘Hamas Out’: Gazans Reportedly Protest Hamas In Largest Demonstration Since War Began)

Reports also surfaced Friday that Trump’s administration is working on a proposal to relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. In exchange, the U.S. would unfreeze billions in Libyan funds. Critics have called the plan both logistically risky and morally fraught.

Meanwhile, Palestinian media reported Israeli troops advancing toward Deir al-Balah early Saturday, marking a new front in the ground campaign. The BBC also reported that Hamas had resumed indirect negotiations in Qatar, with no preconditions on either side. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed the move, calling it a shift from Hamas’ previous stance.

Katz also said recent strikes targeted Mohammed Sinwar, believed to be Hamas’ top commander in Gaza and a key figure behind the October 7, 2023 terror attack.

While Israeli forces ramp up military pressure, humanitarian concerns are mounting. The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced it will begin aid distribution by month’s end. However, U.N. officials warned against sidelining established aid channels.

“To those proposing an alternative modality for aid distribution, let’s not waste time,” U.N. Under Secretary-General Tom Fletcher said Friday. “We already have a plan.”