IDF Expands Gaza Targeting to Low-Rank Hamas Gunmen After Disarmament Deadline Missed

The IDF has shifted its Gaza targeting policy to strike even low-ranked armed Hamas members in Hamas-controlled areas, regardless of whether they pose an immediate threat to Israeli forces, according to analysis published Sunday. The change follows Hamas's missing of the 100-day disarmament deadline under the Trump-brokered October 2025 ceasefire and its rejection of subsequent Board of Peace offers. With senior and mid-level commanders largely eliminated, the IDF is now aiming to pressure Hamas into resuming disarmament talks by sustained pressure on rank-and-file gunmen. The Trump administration has authorized the broader airstrike posture provided strikes do not produce mass civilian casualties or require renewed ground invasions, marking a clear loosening of the more restrictive early-ceasefire rules and reaffirming the IDF's freedom of action.