After field data indicated a difference in military operation methods, suggesting that Israeli forces plan to transition to a new phase in the war on the Gaza Strip, Channel 13 announced that phase three has indeed begun. The Israeli military has fully transitioned to the final stage of the three phases of fighting, having left the area after conducting raids there based on intelligence information, according to the Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth."
The report noted that targets at the brigade and battalion levels have been set, primarily aimed at destroying combat formations above and below ground to diminish the resistance of the Hamas movement, according to their claims. The report further added that Israeli forces have completed the dismantling of Hamas's military frameworks and have entered a phase focused on undermining their objectives. This, they claim, will allow Hamas to reorganize, while being repeatedly struck to reduce their presence to a level that does not pose a threat to the settlements surrounding Gaza.
It pointed out that the fighting in phase three in northern Gaza will bring about more airstrikes from forces that will return multiple times to the same neighborhood or town where intelligence will note Hamas's regrouping. The goal of phase three, as it is being implemented in northern Gaza, is to prevent Hamas from returning as a military organization and to keep them in a state of flight.
This military development comes as mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, continue months of efforts to reach a ceasefire and secure the release of 120 remaining prisoners in Gaza. Hamas asserts that any agreement must end the war and lead to a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel states it will only accept a ceasefire in combat until Hamas is eliminated.
Meanwhile, Hamas has declared that it has not made any substantial amendments to the negotiation terms. A member of the movement's political office, Mohammed Nazzal, indicated that Hamas is serious about a prisoner exchange deal, noting that it would not provide details to avoid jeopardizing the negotiations. In an interview with Al Arabiya/Al Hadath, he mentioned the absence of significant changes to the proposed ceasefire and exchange deal. He also pointed out that there are flexible formulations in the hands of the mediators, but a permanent ceasefire is essential, noting that in the first phase, there is a condition for a ceasefire for six weeks.
