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Israel prepares new Gaza offensive in March

11 January 2026 00:55 (UTC +04:00)

The Israeli army has prepared plans for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, scheduled to begin in March, APA reports citing The Times of Israel.

An Israeli official told the publication that the offensive is planned to be carried out in the direction of Gaza City, with the goal of expanding the Israeli-controlled zone within the enclave beyond the current "yellow line."

A diplomat from an unnamed Arab country, for his part, told The Times of Israel that Israel would be unable to launch this operation without the approval and support of the United States. Washington, he added, is still trying to maintain the fragile ceasefire established in Gaza in October 2025 and move to the second phase of the peace plan for the enclave, which entails disarming the militias of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.

At the same time, the diplomat noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although cooperating with Washington on maintaining the ceasefire, still does not believe in success in disarming Hamas, and therefore has instructed the military to prepare contingency plans.