IDF’s Options
The IDF currently has three main options. The first: to end the operation in parts of Gaza where no hostages are held, while shifting focus to areas previously avoided due to hostage presence—acknowledging that action there may yield results but at a high cost.
The second option: to continue operating throughout the entire Strip to secure the release of hostages and bring down Hamas.
The third option is to pursue a prisoner exchange deal, which according to estimates, would reduce Israeli control over the Strip to only 30%.
According to assessments, most of the General Staff, including the Chief of Staff, support a deal, while Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman is pushing for continued ground operations.
IDF Evacuation Notice: “Military Operations Will Escalate and Expand”
The IDF Arabic Spokesperson this morning (Sunday) issued an evacuation notice for wide areas of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, Jabaliya, and Jabaliya Camp.
“For your safety, evacuate immediately southward to the Al-Mawasi area,” wrote the IDF Spokesperson.
“The IDF is operating with great force in these areas, and these military operations will escalate, intensify, and expand westward toward the city center to destroy the capabilities of the terror organizations. Hamas is harming you and bringing disaster upon you,” the Spokesperson emphasized.
#عاجل ‼️تحذير الى كل المتواجدين في منطقة مدينة غزة وجباليا وفي أحياء الزيتون الشرقي، البلدة القديمة، التركمان، اجديدة، التفاح، الدرج، الصبرة، جباليا البلد، جباليا النزله، معسكر جباليا، الروضة، النهضة، الزهور، النور، السلام وتل الزعتر
⭕️من أجل أمنكم، اخلوا فوراً جنوباً الى منطقة… pic.twitter.com/WdIPuWZiax— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) June 29, 2025
Negotiations for a Deal and Ceasefire
Meanwhile, talks on a hostage deal are ongoing. U.S. President Donald Trump stated last week at the NATO summit that “great progress” had been made on a potential Gaza ceasefire.
According to reports, an improved Israeli proposal for hostage release is on the table. This offer includes a 60-day ceasefire and approaches Hamas’s demands, with Israel proposing to release 8 live hostages in the first week, instead of the original 10 requested by Hamas.
Senior Officials Responsible for October 7 Massacre Continue to Be Eliminated
The IDF continues to eliminate senior Hamas officials responsible for the October 7 massacre. Security forces eliminated Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa overnight (Friday to Saturday), a senior figure in Hamas’s military wing and one of the organization’s founders. The elimination was carried out in a precision IDF strike in the heart of the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, as part of the effort to close the circle around Hamas leaders who played a key role in the massacre.
At the time of his elimination, Issa served as the head of combat and administrative support for the military wing and was involved in restoring Hamas’s logistical infrastructure damaged during the war. He had previously led the group’s force-building efforts, served as head of the training headquarters, and held senior positions in Hamas’s General Military Council.
According to the IDF and ISA, Issa was behind the advancement of aerial and naval terror plans targeting Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers in the Strip. He was also part of the team that planned and executed the October 7 massacre, and was considered one of the last remaining high-level sources of operational knowledge within Hamas in Gaza.
