Israel Approves Plans for Possible Renewed Offensive in Gaza Amid Stalled Talks

Israeli media outlets reported that Israel's Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, has approved military plans for a possible resumption of large-scale operations in the Gaza Strip following difficulties in negotiations over the future of armed factions in the territory.

According to the reports, Southern Command chief Major General Yaniv Asor presented senior officers with an assessment suggesting that ongoing discussions in Cairo have made little progress. He reportedly argued that no international actor or willing party has yet emerged capable of overseeing the disarmament of Hamas, making a renewed military campaign increasingly likely.

Israeli sources also claimed that Hamas has been using the ceasefire period to rebuild parts of its military infrastructure, including sections of its tunnel network and elements of its command and control system.

The reports further suggested that the relative calm on the Lebanese and Iranian fronts could allow Israel to focus additional military resources on Gaza if required.

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli military launched what Hebrew media described as surprise exercises near the Gaza border. The army also announced that it had recently targeted and killed a Hamas official responsible for financial operations, along with his deputy.

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that the movement and other Palestinian factions had approached mediation efforts positively and with flexibility. He said discussions involving mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey had produced acceptable proposals regarding ending the war and managing Gaza's future administration.

Qassem called on mediators and guarantor states to pressure Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement and halt what he described as ongoing violations.

At the same time, sources familiar with the negotiations told AFP that Palestinian factions had agreed in principle to place weapons under the authority of a mutually agreed Palestinian body. However, the issue remains conditional and unresolved.

Participants in the talks said the future of armed groups remains the primary obstacle to a final agreement, with Israel and international envoy Nikolay Mladenov continuing to demand the complete disarmament of Hamas and other factions.

Despite reported progress on most negotiation points, the question of weapons and security arrangements remains the central dispute preventing a comprehensive agreement.