Israel’s military said it has entered the initial phase of a large-scale assault on Gaza City, advancing under what it calls Operation “Gideon’s Chariots II.” A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces announced on 20 Aug 2025 that troops moved in after fresh clashes with Hamas fighters and are now executing a plan aimed at wresting full control of the enclave’s most populous urban center. The operation had been approved earlier in the day by Israel’s security cabinet, which conditioned any cease-fire or broader agreement on the release of all hostages still held in Gaza. No casualty figures were immediately provided by either side, and there was no comment from Hamas on the latest Israeli push.