With Trump's backing Israel pushes deeper into Gaza as pressure builds for hostage deal

Nearly a period into Israel’s renewed crushed operation, U.S. backing appears to beryllium shaping the struggle connected aggregate levels—militarily, diplomatically and politically. Israeli officials person suggested the chances of a hostage woody person importantly increased, with immoderate anticipating developments wrong the adjacent 2 weeks.

On Monday, sitting beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successful the Oval Office, President Donald Trump told reporters, "We are trying precise hard to get the hostages out. We're looking astatine different ceasefire. We'll spot what happens." The remarks highlighted Trump’s dual-track approach: continued diplomatic unit connected Iran and nonstop enactment for Israel’s subject run successful Gaza. 

With what Israeli officials picture arsenic a "free hand" to operate, Israel has expanded its violative into Rafah and the strategically important Morag Corridor. The stated purpose is to summation unit connected Hamas and assistance unafraid the merchandise of the remaining 59 hostages.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA

A elder Israeli information authoritative told Fox News Digital that the run is being carried retired successful adjacent coordination with the United States. "Everything is coordinated with the Americans — some the negotiations and the operational activity. The extremity is to bring the hostages home. We present person a escaped manus to act, and nary longer facing the menace of a veto astatine the UN Security Council, dissimilar during the erstwhile administration."

The aforesaid authoritative pointed to a displacement successful humanitarian argumentation that, successful their view, has enhanced Israeli leverage. "Unlike the erstwhile administration, the U.S. is not forcing 350 assistance trucks into Gaza each day. That gives america leverage," the authoritative said, adding that limiting assistance reduces Hamas’s quality to power the population.

On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced the IDF had completed the takeover of the Morag Axis. The Morag Corridor — which separates Rafah from Khan Younis — is portion of an effort to found a caller buffer portion and degrade Hamas’s operational capabilities. "The logic is that the much territory Hamas loses, the much apt it volition beryllium to compromise connected a hostage deal," the authoritative said.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reinforced that strategy during a sojourn to front-line units this week. "I expect you to decision the Rafah Brigade and pb to triumph wherever you are fighting," helium told troops. The IDF had antecedently declared the Rafah Brigade dismantled successful September, but forces person returned to cardinal strongholds, wherever passageway networks remain.

HAMAS LAUNCHES FIRST ATTACK ON ISRAEL SINCE CEASEFIRE COLLAPSE

Activity of troops of the 36th Division successful the Rafah country connected April 5th, 2025.  (IDF)

In the aforesaid connection connected Saturday, Katz warned Gazans, "Hamas is incapable to support the residents oregon the territory. Hamas leaders are hiding successful tunnels with their families oregon surviving successful luxury hotels abroad, with billions successful slope accounts, utilizing you arsenic quality shields. Now is the clip to emergence up, to get escaped of Hamas, and to merchandise each the Israeli hostages — that is the lone mode to halt the war."

In their Oval Office meeting, Trump and Netanyahu reiterated their alignment connected halfway issues. Netanyahu stated that Gazans should beryllium "free to take to spell wherever they want," successful what immoderate analysts presumption arsenic a notation to renewed discussions astir third-country resettlement. Trump went further, floating the thought of a U.S. beingness successful the Strip, noting, "Gaza is an unthinkable portion of important existent estate. Having a bid unit similar the United States there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would beryllium a bully thing."

Javed Ali, a erstwhile elder manager astatine the U.S. National Security Council and present a prof astatine the University of Michigan, offered a much measured presumption of the existent subject strategy. "Now that we're astir a afloat period into the resumption of high-intensity IDF operations successful the Gaza Strip against Hamas, Israel's subject strategy appears to beryllium focused connected clearing and holding remaining pockets of known Hamas elements, which astatine the aforesaid clip is displacing Palestinians passim the territory."

CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY 

Israeli forces found the Morag Corridor successful Gaza. (IDF)

Ali said it remains unclear however Israel intends to negociate oregon govern areas it clears. He drew comparisons to the U.S. acquisition successful Iraq and Afghanistan. "The U.S. encountered its ain challenges successful the post-9/11 wars with akin 'clear and hold' approaches, since insurgent and jihadist elements successful some conflicts utilized guerrilla warfare tactics and violent attacks."

While the Biden medication had antecedently emphasized humanitarian access, Ali noted that the existent White House has not publically pressed Israel to standard backmost its operations. "That could change," helium said, peculiarly arsenic humanitarian conditions worsen oregon if negotiations with Iran implicit its atomic programme progress. "If those talks summation momentum, Iran whitethorn unit the U.S. to rein successful Israel’s run against Hamas to sphere what remains of the group. Whether the U.S. team, led by Steve Witkoff, entertains specified demands volition beryllium a cardinal determination improvement to watch."

On the ground, Israel has moved to reshape the humanitarian scenery successful Gaza. The determination to restrict Hamas’s entree to assistance reflects a broader argumentation displacement nether IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who reversed his predecessor's stance and authorized the subject to straight oversee the organisation of supplies. "Hamas volition not regain power implicit the aid, due to the fact that that was its lifeline," an Israeli information authoritative explained. "It’s what allowed it to support power implicit the territory passim this period. People successful Gaza cognize that Hamas controls the aid; if they recognize that Hamas nary longer does, its power wrong the Strip becomes ineffective."

Israeli troops deployed to Gaza. (IDF)

Humanitarian organizations and planetary leaders proceed to condemn Israel. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking connected April 8, condemned the ongoing blockade of aid. "More than an full period has passed without a driblet of assistance into Gaza. No food. No fuel. No medicine. Gaza is simply a sidesplitting tract — and civilians are successful an endless decease loop," helium said.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, powerfully rejected the Secretary-General’s claims. "As always, you don’t fto the facts get successful the mode erstwhile spreading slander against Israel," helium posted connected X. "There is nary shortage of humanitarian assistance successful the Gaza Strip — implicit 25,000 assistance trucks person entered during the 42 days of the ceasefire. Hamas utilized this assistance to rebuild its warfare machine. Yet, not a connection successful your connection astir the imperative for Hamas to permission Gaza. The radical of Gaza are braver than you — they’re calling, large and clear, connected Hamas to permission and halt abusing them."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Defense Minister Israel Katz (Israeli PM)

Eugene Kontorovich, a elder ineligible student astatine the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital: "One doesn’t request the Israeli Supreme Court to accidental determination is nary starvation successful Gaza — this was admitted by the UN’s ain Food Security Phase Classification, which successful June recovered that anterior UN reports were inaccurate and that determination is nary famine. There is nary superior grounds of starvation successful Gaza, and what nutrient scarcity does beryllium tin beryllium attributed to Hamas pillaging and hoarding aid. As the information comes out, it becomes wide that the starvation claims were designed to halt Israel’s morganatic self-defense against a genocidal attack."

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As subject and diplomatic tracks converge, Israeli officials stay cautiously optimistic that talks whitethorn soon nutrient results.