What is 'Gideon's Chariots', Israel's latest plan for Gaza?

The Israeli army is planning to seize complete control of the Gaza Strip, displace the entire population to a small area of land in the south and provide Palestinians with only enough food so they don't starve to death, as part of an expanded military operation ominously called "Gideon's Chariots".

Israel's security cabinet unanimously approved the plan late on 4 May, hours after the country's military said it was strengthening its capacity to operate in the besieged Palestinian territory by mobilising tens of thousands of reservists.

The plan, aspects of which are already being implemented, will fully commence if a deal isn't reached on the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas by the end of US President Donald Trump's visit to the region next week, Israeli media have reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes, confirmed the plan in a social media video following the cabinet meeting.

"[Gaza's] population will be moved," Netanyahu said in a video message posted on X, adding that Israeli soldiers won't go into Gaza, launch raids and then retreat.

Read more: What is 'Gideon's Chariots', Israel's latest plan for Gaza?