The Washington Post reported on Monday that the Israeli occupation army is preparing to launch a large-scale "ground operation" in Gaza that could last for months or longer, after Israel violated the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas last week and carried out a widespread bombardment of the Strip, killing hundreds.

The newspaper spoke with current and former Israeli officials, who explained that the "new, more aggressive tactics" will likely include "direct military control of humanitarian aid," "targeting more of Hamas' civilian leadership," and evacuating women, children, and verified civilians from neighborhoods to "humanitarian zones," without specifying the nature of these zones.

Officials said those not evacuated would face a blockade "very similar to a tactic used last year in northern Gaza." It's worth noting that in 2024, the Israeli military implemented a version of "The General's Plan," an ethnic cleansing scheme devised by retired IDF generals for northern Gaza.

The plan called for the complete evacuation of all Palestinian civilians south of the Netzarim corridor, a strip of land controlled by the Israeli military. Under the plan, if civilians did not leave, they would be treated as combatants and killed, either by military action or by starvation.

The Washington Post reported that the more brutal strategy reflects a change in military leadership, and that the new policy is more in line with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's viewpoint. Israeli military chief of staff Herzog Halevi resigned from his post earlier this month and was replaced by Eyal Zamir. Amir Aviv, the former deputy commander of the Gaza Division, explained to the Washington Post that President Donald Trump's strong support for Netanyahu gives Israeli military leaders greater confidence in obtaining the necessary equipment in Gaza.

"Now there is a new command [for the IDF], there is support from the United States, there is the fact that we have enough ammunition, and the fact that we have completed our main missions in the north and can focus on Gaza," Avivi said. "The plans are decisive; there will be a large-scale offensive and they will not stop until Hamas is completely eliminated. We will see."

It's worth noting that since October 7, 2023, Israel has destroyed the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50,000 Gazans. However, Israeli and American officials have said that Hamas has returned to its pre-war strength. The newspaper indicated that the Israeli occupation army will be no less cautious in its efforts to defeat Hamas.

According to the newspaper, Yossi Kuperwasser, a former senior Israeli military intelligence official and president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, explained that "the opposition is less now with Zamir and [Defense Minister Israel] Katz. They are more prepared."

"The government was committed to removing Hamas from power," Kuperwasser added. The security establishment was not happy with this idea. They were trying to focus more on military assets and less on civilian ones. Because once Hamas was removed from Gaza, the IDF would be forced to govern Gaza.

While the Washington Post report indicates that the Israeli military is planning a counterinsurgency campaign in Gaza, Katz stated that Tel Aviv will expel Palestinians and annex the Strip. He said on Friday, "I have instructed the IDF to seize additional areas in Gaza, evacuate residents, and expand the security zones around Gaza to protect Israeli population centers and IDF soldiers."

The Israeli Security Council on Saturday established a new office to coordinate the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

Since breaching the ceasefire and hostage agreement last week, Israel has resumed its massive bombardment of Gaza. In addition, Israeli forces have attacked Rafah in southern Gaza and the Netzarim crossing in central Gaza.