Almost a month into Israel’s renewed ground operation, the United States’ support is significantly influencing the conflict across military, diplomatic, and political spheres. Israeli authorities believe the prospects for a hostage agreement have risen substantially, with some expecting progress in the next couple of weeks.
During a Monday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that they are working diligently to secure the hostages’ release and considering another ceasefire, adding “We’ll see what happens.” These remarks underscored Trump’s two-pronged strategy: maintaining diplomatic pressure on Iran while directly backing Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
With what Israeli officials describe as a “free hand” to operate, Israel has broadened its offensive to include Rafah and the strategically vital Morag Corridor. The stated goal is to exert greater pressure on Hamas and facilitate the release of the remaining 59 hostages.
A high-ranking Israeli security official informed Digital that the operation is being conducted in close collaboration with the United States. “Everything is coordinated with the Americans — both the negotiations and the operational activity. The goal is to . We now have a free hand to act, and no longer facing the threat of a veto at the UN Security Council, unlike during the previous administration.”
The same official highlighted a that, in their opinion, has strengthened Israel’s position. “Unlike the previous administration, the U.S. is not forcing 350 aid trucks into Gaza every day. That gives us leverage,” the official stated, adding that restricting aid limits Hamas’s ability to control the population.
On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the IDF had completed its takeover of the Morag Axis. The Morag Corridor — which separates Rafah from Khan Younis — is part of an effort to establish a new buffer zone and degrade Hamas’s operational capabilities. “The logic is that the more territory Hamas loses, the more likely it will be to compromise on a hostage deal,” the official said.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reiterated this strategy during a visit to front-line units this week. “I expect you to defeat the Rafah Brigade and lead to victory wherever you are fighting,” he told troops. The IDF had previously announced the dismantling of the Rafah Brigade in September, but forces have returned to key strongholds where tunnel networks persist.
In the same Saturday statement, Katz cautioned Gazans, “Hamas is unable to protect the residents or the territory. Hamas leaders are hiding in tunnels with their families or living in luxury hotels abroad, with billions in bank accounts, using you as human shields. Now is the time to rise up, to get rid of Hamas, and to release all the Israeli hostages — that is the only way to stop the war.”
During their Oval Office meeting, Trump and Netanyahu reaffirmed their agreement on key issues. Netanyahu suggested that Gazans should be “free to choose to go wherever they want,” which some analysts interpret as a reference to renewed discussions about resettlement in third countries. Trump went further, suggesting a U.S. presence in Gaza, stating, “Gaza is an incredible piece of important real estate. Having a peace force like the United States there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing.”
Javed Ali, a former senior director at the U.S. National Security Council and currently a professor at the University of Michigan, provided a more cautious assessment of the current military approach. “Now that we’re almost a full month into the resumption of high-intensity IDF operations in the Gaza Strip against Hamas, Israel’s military strategy appears to be focused on clearing and holding remaining pockets of known Hamas elements, which at the same time is displacing Palestinians throughout the territory.”
Ali stated that it remains unclear how Israel plans to manage or govern the areas it clears. He drew parallels to the U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The U.S. encountered its own challenges in the post-9/11 wars with similar ‘clear and hold’ approaches, since insurgent and jihadist elements in both conflicts utilized guerrilla warfare tactics and terrorist attacks.”
While the Biden administration previously emphasized humanitarian access, Ali noted that the current White House has not publicly urged Israel to reduce its operations. “That could change,” he said, particularly if humanitarian conditions worsen or if negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program progress. “If those talks gain momentum, Iran may pressure the U.S. to rein in Israel’s campaign against Hamas to preserve what remains of the group. Whether the U.S. team, , entertains such demands will be a key regional development to watch.”
On the ground, Israel has begun to reshape the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The decision to limit Hamas’s access to aid reflects a broader policy shift under IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who reversed his predecessor’s position and authorized the military to directly oversee the distribution of supplies. “Hamas will not regain control over the aid, because that was its lifeline,” an Israeli security official explained. “It’s what allowed it to maintain control over the territory throughout this period. People in Gaza know that Hamas controls the aid; if they realize that Hamas no longer does, its control within the Strip becomes ineffective.”
Humanitarian organizations and international leaders continue to condemn Israel. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking on April 8, condemned the ongoing blockade of aid. “More than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza. No food. No fuel. No medicine. Gaza is a killing field — and civilians are in an endless death loop,” he said.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, strongly refuted the Secretary-General’s claims. “As always, you don’t let the facts get in the way when spreading slander against Israel,” he posted on X. “There is no shortage of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip — over 25,000 aid trucks have entered during the 42 days of the ceasefire. Hamas used this aid to rebuild its war machine. Yet, not a word in your statement about the imperative for Hamas to leave Gaza. The people of Gaza are braver than you — they’re calling, loud and clear, on Hamas to leave and stop abusing them.”
Eugene Kontorovich, a senior legal scholar at the Heritage Foundation, told Digital: “One doesn’t need the Israeli Supreme Court to say there is no starvation in Gaza — this was admitted by the UN’s own Food Security Phase Classification, which in June found that prior UN reports were inaccurate and that there is no famine. There is no serious evidence of starvation in Gaza, and what food scarcity does exist can be attributed to Hamas pillaging and hoarding aid. As the truth comes out, it becomes clear that the starvation claims were designed to halt Israel’s legitimate self-defense against a genocidal attack.”
As military and diplomatic tracks converge, Israeli officials remain cautiously optimistic that talks may soon produce results.