Israel expands ground and air operations in Gaza, putting pressure on Hamas

Wide military escalation is witnessed in the eastern part of Gaza City today, Saturday, July 26th, as the Israeli army launches intensive airstrikes and ground incursions in an attempt to deepen its control over the area.

According to Israeli political sources, the security establishment has presented a new military plan to the political leadership aimed at "deepening the division of the Gaza Strip into isolated areas" and imposing further blockade on the territory, in an attempt to weaken Hamas, which controls the sector.

The official Israeli channel "Kan" confirmed that this plan comes amidst the ongoing negotiations crisis for the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas, which recently faced a setback with the withdrawal of delegations from Doha for consultations.

While no official comment has been issued by the Israeli army yet, sources indicated that the plan represents a shift from the previous approach, as the security establishment previously opposed conducting military maneuvers in areas believed to hold Israeli prisoners.

The plan includes new extensive incursions in eastern Gaza to deepen the division of the sector into isolated areas, which means further pressure on the residents of the sector and the leadership of Hamas together.

In a related development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a mini-security meeting yesterday to discuss the repercussions of the negotiations' setback, and contacted US President Donald Trump who gave a "green light" to continue the military operation in Gaza, according to the "Kan" channel.

Despite the current deadlock, an Israeli source confirmed that the gaps in the negotiations are not significant, and that reaching an agreement in the coming days is still possible.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu announced that he is exploring "alternatives" with the United States to repatriate prisoners from Gaza and end Hamas' control over the sector, without disclosing the details of these alternatives, while US Middle East envoy Stephen Whitekov indicated that the two parties are exploring alternative options after the recent suspension of negotiations.

On another note, a joint statement by Egypt and Qatar affirmed that suspending the negotiations to hold consultations before resuming them is "normal" in the context of the talks, pointing to progress made in the intensive three-week negotiation round.

This escalation comes amid the continued deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where airstrikes and ground operations persist in increasing the suffering among civilians.