As the IDF enters the second year of combat in Gaza, military planning anticipates continued ground operations against Hamas for years to come, with or without a hostage deal.
Despite the cease-fire in the north bringing quiet along the Lebanon border, Gaza remains a consistent focus of military activity, involving three divisions. The Gaza Division, the largest, concentrates on defending Israeli border communities, while the others work to secure operational gains by steadily advancing and taking control of strategic areas within Gaza.
The nature of the fighting has evolved significantly since the conclusion of the Rafah ground offensive in August. IDF soldiers now patrol newly secured zones with fewer protective measures, conducting targeted operations only as needed against remaining Hamas resistance.
Near Rafah, troops occupy fortified positions along a widened Philadelphi Corridor that now extends two to three kilometers into Gaza. This expansion involved flattening hundreds of Palestinian buildings, pushing the threat of sniper, anti-tank, or small-arms fire beyond effective range.
In the Netzarim Corridor, which has grown bigger in size than Tel Aviv and where IDF reserve forces have been stationed for months, progress on establishing a buffer zone inside Gaza is nearing completion. Approximately 95% of the planned area—a strip averaging one to two kilometers wide—is secured, with ongoing tunnel detection and demolition operations targeting Hamas’ underground infrastructure.
Elsewhere, the 162nd Division has made significant gains in Jabaliya, now requiring only one or two battalions to dismantle large Hamas strongholds in one night—operations that previously required two to three brigades. Supporting the divisions is an artillery battalion providing firepower across Gaza, from Rafah in the south, through Netzarim in the center and to Jabaliya in the north.
Gaza Division: Defending from enemy territory
The U.S. objections from last year to the demolition of thousands of buildings in favor of the construction of a buffer zone, the Gaza Division’s flagship project since being captured by terrorists during the October 7 Hamas attack, now seem like a distant memory.
Once a densely built area, neighborhoods such as Beit Hanoun’s Officer Towers, once visible from Sderot, have been leveled, along with thousands of buildings in areas like Shijaiyah and Khirbet Khizeh, which directly threatened Israeli communities.
According to military sources, the buffer zone now extends an average of one to two kilometers into Gaza, with nearly 95% of the project completed. The zone, cleared of orchards, fields and greenhouses, is tightly monitored, with strict rules of engagement. Soldiers are warned to exercise caution, as civilians—including children—have entered the zone in desperation, and there is concern that hostages escaping Hamas captivity—like Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Shamriz, who were shot and killed by Israeli forces after a misidentification—might use the same route.
The division has intensified efforts to locate and destroy Hamas’ cross-border tunnels, some of which remain undiscovered due to the extensive underground network near the border. IDF units are simultaneously targeting up to four tunnel routes, supported by advanced monitoring and detection systems that have significantly improved operational efficiency.
The Gaza Division also oversees the logistical and operational support for two other divisions operating inside Gaza, bolstered by fortified forward bases established on the Israeli side of the border. What began as four battalion-level task forces responsible for border security on October 7 has grown to include armored, infantry and engineering units, as well as “community battalions” specifically tasked with protecting kibbutzim and moshavim.
The Gaza Division has intensified operations in areas that have seen little military activity in recent months, such as Khan Younis, opposite Kibbutz Kissufim. Additionally, the division has taken on exclusive responsibility for the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s southern border, a shift from the 162nd Division prompted by manpower constraints. The task, handed over in August, is being carried out by the Nahal Brigade with three to four battalions rotating on a staggered schedule to allow regular leave.
"Initially, we were concerned about whether a defensive division could also manage a brigade inside Gaza, but it’s working because Nahal is experienced and effective there," IDF officials said.
They noted the corridor’s buffer zone has been expanded to 2–3 kilometers, pushing Hamas forces back and reducing threats. Soldiers stationed along Philadelphi now operate from secure outposts where they can move freely without helmets or vests, heightening their alertness for actual combat situations.
Troops also benefit from improved conditions, including better living quarters and cellular coverage, though limited to the Israeli provider Cellcom.
In Rafah, the IDF estimates that 1,000–2,000 Gazan civilians remain. The division’s goal is to push them northward toward Khan Younis and Al Mawasi. "The border communities are coming back to life," said an IDF source, estimating that 75% of residents have returned to their homes, though recovery has been slower in areas hardest hit, like Nir Oz and Be’eri.
The Philadelphi Corridor, recently paved by the IDF into a 14-kilometer (9-mile) military highway stretching from Kerem Shalom to a coastal outpost, has undergone a dramatic transformation.
The primary engineering focus in the area has been the systematic demolition of homes, which the IDF says were mostly used by Hamas or posed a threat to soldiers. This clearing has exposed a wide strip of land between the Sinai border and the vanishing line of houses south of Rafah. In the Al-Shaboura refugee camp alone, 300 buildings have been leveled.
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Only some soldiers stationed along the corridor benefit from the improved living conditions provided by the IDF, which include new housing facilities and a cell tower, similar to one recently installed in the Netzarim Corridor.
The Nahal Brigade, whose soldiers have sustained the longest continuous deployment in Gaza since the ground offensive began in late October of last year, is nearing a historic moment. They are expected to withdraw from Gaza and return to routine security assignments in the West Bank under the Judea and Samaria Division, from which they were redeployed on the morning of October 7. This transition marks the IDF’s effort to restore its pre-war battalion structure, easing some of the burden on reservists.
The 99th Division: Threats persist even on Israeli territory
The 99th Division, the youngest of the IDF's divisions under Central Command, was responsible for the Netzarim Corridor at the start of the year when it averaged two kilometers in width. Today, the corridor has expanded to approximately six kilometers, now equipped with cellular infrastructure, a new water line, comfortable outposts for soldiers and two brigades—northern and southern—tasked with widening the area further, extending from Gaza City neighborhoods in the north to central towns like Bureij and Nuseirat in the south.
The soldiers’ primary role in the corridor mirrors that of the Philadelphi Corridor: securing and "maintaining the achievement," according to the IDF. The strategic gain in Netzarim is blocking the movement of Gazans from the southern to northern parts of the coastal enclave while encouraging the relocation of 300,000 people—out of the roughly one million who lived in northern Gaza before the war—southward.
"Today, there are almost no crossings in Netzarim, not even humanitarian or medical ones as before," IDF officials said. "We are establishing additional forward bases, increasing pressure on Hamas, which is effectively encircled on all sides by three IDF divisions."
The most recent significant operational event in the Netzarim sector occurred last week. A force from the northern brigade conducted a nighttime search raid between the Zeitoun and Sheikh Ajlin neighborhoods of Gaza City. During the operation, a Hamas fighter emerged from a combat tunnel and fired an RPG at an IDF bulldozer operator, severely injuring him.
"These searches continue to uncover large quantities of ammunition, Hamas equipment and weapons," the military noted. "In almost every operation, Hamas attempts counterattacks with sniper fire or other remote strikes."
The IDF assesses that Hamas is refraining from launching major attacks on static Israeli forces in the Netzarim Corridor, conserving its resources for a potential post-withdrawal phase, if and when it occurs. "That’s why we are advancing more slowly and thoroughly from the corridor," an IDF source explained.
Hamas is reportedly focusing on rebuilding its Gaza City brigade, which has not been targeted by IDF operations for months, using terror to control the local population and prevent their relocation southward.
The group has also been recruiting new fighters, some as young as 14, and attempting to develop weapons such as drones capable of carrying grenades. Gaza City forces still have commanders in place, including a brigade commander who has avoided elimination by keeping a low profile.
Further south, in areas like Nuseirat, the situation differs. There, Hamas forces remain largely intact as the IDF has not conducted ground operations there, concerned about the potential presence of hostages. As southern Gaza is pushed northward from Rafah and the eastern border, Nuseirat is becoming increasingly crowded, merging with Deir al-Balah and Al Mawasi into a densely packed metropolitan area of displaced people along the coast.
The IDF is also considering the possibility of a sea-based attack targeting forces stationed in the western part of the Netzarim Corridor.
Military officials emphasized that operations in the Netzarim Corridor remain primarily operational, but as the timeline progresses and the likelihood of the remaining Israeli hostages perishing in Hamas tunnels increases, public legitimacy could grow for the establishment of Israeli settlements in the cleared area, along with repealing the Disengagement Law, which led to Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.
"We are keeping the enemy occupied from the Netzarim Corridor, preventing them from launching major attacks involving 50–60 fighters," IDF officials said. They added that soldiers’ rotations are stable, with regular leave schedules allowing some forces to return home while others remain at outposts. "Although we don’t officially classify this as routine security operations, there are clear patterns of repetition in the soldiers’ activities," they noted.
The corridor is currently held by two reserve brigades, the 551st and the 179th, whose soldiers have spent more time on duty than at home over the past 14 months. The 99th Division has described the reserve call-up orders for its forces as “relaxed emergency orders,” allowing certain units, such as staff personnel, to return home between shifts, spending two to three days per week with their families.
The 162nd Division: The occupied third
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi recently announced that the 162nd Division, the Southern Command’s regular spearhead division, will remain in Gaza through at least next year. Its brigades will not be redeployed to the northern front.
Beyond the structural cohesion of the division, the decision is attributed to the experience and expertise its units have gained in over a year of combat against Hamas. These include the Givati and Nahal Brigades, the 401st Armored Brigade and the Multidimensional Unit, which has been integrated into the division.
Currently, the 162nd Division is the only unit conducting a full-scale offensive within Gaza. Since late September, it has been leading a campaign in Jabaliya aimed at bisecting the northern third of the territory, separating Gaza City from the towns of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia.
The operation employs tactics reminiscent of the so-called "Generals’ Plan," involving the displacement of tens of thousands of Gazans southward through checkpoints where they are thoroughly screened. To date, over 1,000 individuals suspected of being Hamas operatives have been detained.
An investigation by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth reveals that, unlike in previous operations, Gazan civilians have not been allowed to return to neighborhoods cleared by the IDF in the ongoing offensive in Jabaliya, now entering its third month. The 162nd Division estimates the operation could conclude within weeks, as an estimated 100 to 200 Hamas terrorists remain entrenched in the Jabaliya refugee camp, a key stronghold.
As part of the operation, the Kfir Brigade is conducting "mop-up operations" on the northern and eastern edges of Jabaliya, as well as in Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, aiming to secure a safer environment for the return of Israeli residents in northern Gaza-border communities.
A key characteristic of the fighting in Jabaliya is the efficiency of the experienced IDF forces, who are achieving more with fewer troops. Last week, Givati reconnaissance units, supported by aerial assistance, used just two-and-a-half companies to eliminate 40 terrorists and capture 100 others in a large Jabaliya complex, completing the mission in just three hours.
Despite the progress, Hamas continues to mount resistance, occasionally targeting IDF forces. The operation has resulted in the deaths of approximately 30 soldiers so far, an average of one every two days. Among the fallen is Col. Ehsan Daxa, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade.