May 17, 2025

The Israeli military on Friday night announced the start of “extensive strikes” and troop mobilization in the Gaza Strip as part of a new military operation named “Gideon’s Chariots.”

The major operation aims “to achieve all the goals of the war in Gaza, including the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on social media.

New strikes began on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his four-day trip to the Middle East, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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