IDF Significantly Restricts Gaza Strikes Amid US and International Pressure

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have sharply tightened their rules of engagement in Gaza, limiting airstrikes to cases of immediate threat or exceptional circumstances requiring individual approval. This policy shift, announced on Tuesday, follows pressure from the US, Arab states, and the Israeli Peace Council urging restraint. Despite this, recent weeks have seen a marked increase in targeted killings of Hamas operatives across Gaza, conducted by the Southern Command, Shin Bet, and Military Intelligence. These operations rely on intelligence breakthroughs and are partly driven by Southern Command Chief Major General Yaniv Asor. The IDF believes these targeted eliminations intensify pressure on Hamas leadership and its security apparatus, which is actively seeking collaborators with Israel and responding with violence against them.

A senior security official noted that Hamas fears retaliating with fire against the IDF to avoid provoking a harsher Israeli response, including potential deep incursions into Palestinian territory. Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF confirmed the killing of a Hamas terrorist responsible for attacks on Israeli soldiers Romi Gonen and Bnoa Marciano. The new restrictive policy aims to balance operational pressure on Hamas with diplomatic concerns amid heightened international scrutiny.