Israel launches new military operation in Gaza. Here's why
Israel has launched a major operation in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages, the defense minister said Saturday, following days of intensive strikes across the territory that killed hundreds of people.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Operation Gideon Chariots was being led with 'great force' by Israel's army.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to escalate pressure on Hamas with the aim of destroying the militant group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades.
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The operation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his trip to the region without a visit to Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump's trip could increase the chances of a ceasefire deal or the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has prevented for more than two months.
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Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have yet to achieve progress in Qatar's capital, Doha. Hamas, which released an Israeli-American hostage as a goodwill gesture ahead of Trump's Mideast trip, insists on a deal that eventually ends the three-year conflict — something Israel said it won't agree to.
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More than 150 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It said almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a January ceasefire on March 18.
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Allies call Israel's Gaza aid blockade 'simply unacceptable'
Of the hostages who remain in Gaza, Israel believes as many as 23 are still alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those.
The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants.
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Winnipeg Free Press
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
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Musk calls Trump's big tax break bill a ‘disgusting abomination,' testing his influence over the GOP
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Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, said 'it's not helpful' to have Musk criticizing the legislation, but he doesn't expect lawmakers to side with Musk over Trump. 'Senate Republicans are not going to let the tax cuts expire,' Conant said. 'It just makes leadership's job that much harder to wrangle the holdouts.' Trump can change the outcome in Republican primaries with his endorsements; Musk doesn't wield that level of influence, Conant said. 'No matter what Elon Musk or anybody else says — and I don't want to diminish him because I don't think that's fair — it's still going to be second fiddle to President Trump,' said Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. Musk's business interests stand to take a hit if lawmakers approve Trump's bill, which would slash funding for electric vehicles and related technologies. Musk is the chief executive of Tesla, the nation's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, which has massive defense contracts. 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'We can and must do better,' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul wrote on X. Utah Sen. Mike Lee said 'federal spending has become excessive,' adding that it causes inflation and 'weaponizes government.' Still, Trump enjoys fierce loyalty among the GOP base, and in the end, his opinion may be the only one that matters. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down Musk's criticism. 'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,' Leavitt said, and Musk's post 'doesn't change the president's opinion.' The tension in the GOP delighted Democrats, who found themselves in the unlikely position of siding with Musk. Democrats are waging an all-out political assault on GOP proposals to cut Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments to help pay for more than $4.5 trillion in tax cuts — with many lawmakers being hammered at boisterous town halls back home. 'We're in complete agreement,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said of Musk. 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