Israel's offensive Gideon’s Chariots: fear of ethnic cleansing!

Israel's offensive Gideon’s Chariots: fear of ethnic cleansing!

Gazastreifen, Israel - On May 18, 2025, Israel launched a new offensive in the Gaza Strip under the name "Gideon’s Chariots". This military initiative aims to defeat Hamas and free kidnapped hostages. Heavy explosions and artillery shot have been recorded in the coastal area since morning. The Israeli military has announced that it will battle with full strength, which the international community is concerned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even indicates a possible permanent control of the Gaza Strip.

The offensive follows a security cabinet session in early May, in which plans for taking the Gaza Strip were discussed. These plans encounter considerable international criticism, especially since human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, warn of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. According to the UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk, there is indications of a "permanent demographic shift" that violates international law.

Humanitarian crisis and blockade

The humanitarian location in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. The UN warn that 2.4 million residents are in acute risk to a hunger. Since March 2, 2025, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid to force Hamas concessions. This blockade has led to an extreme lack of medical care and reports on increasing hunger are piling up.

The escalation of violence also has a fatal impact on the civilian population. In the past few days, the Hamas civil protection authority reported at least 88 deaths due to the attacks, whereby people in the Chan Yunis refugee camp are particularly affected. According to the World Health Organization, even a polio vaccination campaign had to be interrupted, as fighting prevented a complete implementation.

international reactions

International is urgent appeals to increase the pressure on Israel and to provide humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump plans a controversial forced resettlement of up to one million Palestinians to Libya, for which discussions with Libyan leadership run. Such plans were classified by the UN as possible war crimes.

The situation is complex for the international community. While talks about possible ceasefire and humanitarian aid are initiated behind the scenes, the fights seem to go on unabated, with severe attacks on civilian structures and refugee camps that lead to more and more victims. The upcoming humanitarian catastrophe leaves hardly any scope for hope for an early and peaceful solution to the conflict.

It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether the international community will initiate effective measures to relieve the crisis, while people in the Gaza Strip suffer from extreme conditions.

For further information on the background and the current developments, read the reports on op-online , Stern and SRF .