War Escalation: Inside the Military Order to Crush Resistance Before Trump's Ultimatum Expires

The Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, today (Tuesday) instructed forces operating in the Gaza Strip to increase their alertness and readiness, emphasizing perimeter security, continued military pressure, and the thwarting of terrorists in the combat zones. This directive comes amid tense anticipation that the Hamas terror organization may accept the proposed framework by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war.

Earlier this morning, Lt. Gen. Zamir conducted a situation assessment and operational briefing in Gaza, where he met with Nahal Reconnaissance unit fighters operating in the area and expressed his appreciation for their performance in "Gideon's Chariots B" operation. Following this, Zamir held a briefing on continued operations with the head of the Southern Command, Major General Yaniv Asor, and all divisional commanders in the Strip, discussing the ongoing operational plans.

The Commander-in-Chief's order follows two serious incidents yesterday within the Gaza City area involving two separate forces from the Kfir Brigade. In both cases, terrorists attempted to breach defensive positions occupied by soldiers. In the first incident, two terrorists were identified attempting to enter a fighters' compound and were eliminated with the aid of artillery fire. Approximately an hour later, in a separate incident, two terrorists successfully infiltrated the defensive position of other Kfir fighters and attached two explosive devices to a tank from the 82nd Battalion operating with the brigade.

The second incident involved a face-to-face engagement with the terrorists, which included the use of light weapons fire. As a result of the encounters, five soldiers were seriously wounded and six others sustained minor injuries. Two terrorists were confirmed eliminated in the incident, which involved five terrorists in total. The force initiated a search for the remaining three infiltrators. All wounded soldiers were evacuated from the Strip for medical treatment at a hospital, and their families were notified.

Lt. Gen. Zamir's instructions also align with a major diplomatic push. President Trump, who unveiled his "21-Point" initiative yesterday to secure the return of the hostages and end the war, issued a tight deadline, stating the Hamas terror organization has "3-4 days to respond to our proposal for an agreement." Trump further warned that if the terror organization refuses the offer, "there is no more room for negotiation, Israel is authorized to do what is necessary."

The U.S. President stressed the widespread support for the proposal: "Entire countries have signed, Israel has signed. We are waiting for Hamas. Either it does it or it doesn't, but if not, it will be a sad ending." He simplified the demands on the terror organization: "Regarding Hamas, we want the hostages back immediately, and we want good behaviour. It's quite simple, no more than that."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, upon returning from the U.S., summarized his visit and the achievements stemming from the plan in a recorded statement. "This is a historic visit," Netanyahu stated, claiming, "Instead of Hamas isolating us, we flipped the script and isolated Hamas. Now, the entire world, including the Arab and Muslim world, is pressuring Hamas to accept the conditions we set together with President Trump." The intensified military pressure ordered by the top commander is a clear effort to leverage the diplomatic ultimatum with action on the ground.