Report: Israel gears up for renewed war with full force

Israeli decision-makers are reportedly planning to resume the war in Gaza within four to six weeks with unprecedented force, deploying tens of thousands of soldiers in a coordinated assault against Hamas, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

The report states that incoming IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has been tasked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Katz with formulating a more aggressive battle plan. Zamir reportedly found the previous strategies developed under outgoing Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi insufficient for achieving a decisive victory.

Under the new plan, the IDF could deploy up to 50,000 troops—more than at any stage of the war so far—while facilitating the transfer of Gaza’s civilian population to designated humanitarian buffer zones before launching an overwhelming ground offensive against Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

Retired Brigadier General Amir Avivi was quoted as saying the upcoming operation would be “decisive” and that Israel would use “every tool it has to conquer Gaza and eradicate Hamas.” The renewed offensive would begin with a large-scale wave of airstrikes. Additionally, humanitarian aid would be strictly limited to designated safe zones to prevent Hamas from diverting resources for its own use, as it has done since the October 7 massacre.

Zamir is expected to present the finalized details of the plan to Netanyahu and Katz upon taking office next Thursday.

Hints of the imminent escalation have surfaced in official statements. At a military officer graduation ceremony on Sunday, Netanyahu declared: “We are ready to return to intensive fighting at any moment. The plans for the operation are ready.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed this sentiment at a conference in Jerusalem, stating: “We are preparing, we are accumulating capabilities, and when we are ready – we will open the gates of hell again on Hamas.”

Israeli officials anticipate stronger backing from the United States in the event of renewed fighting, believing that Washington’s stance will be more supportive than in 2024, when the Biden administration delayed weapons shipments and pressured Israel to halt its campaign before Hamas was fully dismantled.