2025 Gaza City offensive

2025 Gaza City offensive
	Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war
Date	Initial stages: ; 20 August 2025 – 15 September 2025; (3 weeks and 5 days); Main offensive:; 15 September – 4 October 2025; (2 weeks and 5 days)
Location	Gaza City and Jabalia, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Result	Inconclusive (see aftermath)
Territorial; changes	Israel withdraws from parts of Gaza City on 10 October
Belligerents
Israel	Hamas; Palestinian Islamic Jihad; Popular Resistance Committees; Palestinian Mujahideen Movement; Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Abdul al-Qadir al-Husseini Brigades
Commanders and leaders
Eyal Zamir; Barak Hiram; Sagiv Dahan; Moran Omer	Muhammad Rajab; Imad Aslim; Haitham Khuwajari
Units involved
Israel Defense Forces Israeli Ground Forces Northern Command 36th Division 7th Brigade 77th Battalion; 82nd Battalion; ; 188th Brigade; ; ; Central Command 99th Division; 98th Division; ; Southern Command 162nd Division 401st Brigade; Nahal Brigade 50th Battalion; ; Givati Brigade 607th Battalion; Shaked Battalion; ; ; ; ; Israeli Air Force; ; Israeli Intelligence Community Shin Bet; ;	Palestinian Joint Operations Room Al-Qassam Brigades Gaza Brigade Zeitoun Battalion; Shati Battalion; ; ; Al-Quds Brigades; Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades; Mujahideen Brigades Gaza Brigade; ; National Resistance Brigades; Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades; Abdul al-Qadir al-Husseini Brigades; ;
Strength
~130,000 troops	~10,000 militants
Casualties and losses
6 soldiers killed	Fewer than 200 militants killed
	450,000 – 870,000+ Palestinian civilians displaced; Unknown number of Palestinian civilians killed

On 20 August 2025, during the Gaza war, Israel announced it had formally begun the "first stages" of a military offensive aiming to seize control of Gaza City from Hamas, referred to in plans as Operation Gideon's Chariots II or Operation Gideon's Chariots B (Hebrew: מבצע מרכבות גדעון ב', romanized: Mivtza Merkavat Gid'on B'). These early stages were superseded by an expanded main offensive that began on 15 September. Israel framed the offensive as a continuation or a second part of Operation Gideon's Chariots, which lasted from 16 May to 4 August 2025.

Hamas announced a counteroffensive titled Operation Moses' Staff in response to the Israeli operations. It also allegedly transferred Israeli hostages to combat zones in Gaza City, where they were intended to be used as human shields.

Experts said that the offensive would exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) having confirmed a famine in Gaza City on 22 August. Israel also warned that unless Hamas yielded to its terms, the city could be destroyed. By 30 September, around 1,250 buildings were reported to have been destroyed in the city, with several residential areas having been destroyed by Israeli bombings.

On 4 October 2025, following a positive response by Hamas to a peace plan and a call by American president Donald Trump for Israel to cease its military advances in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has halted on orders of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the implementation of the peace plan's ceasefire on 10 October, Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza City.