Recommending reading this piece — supposedly sourced from IDF senior commanders. Essentially, the IDF is, according to this piece, focused on taking out the Hamas command.
The Israeli strategy appears sequential and intricate, involving raids, intelligence gathering, and holding cleared pockets. From these pockets, IDF troops plan to strike at Hamas leaders and then withdraw back to the cleared areas to request air support. If it succeeds as planned, this process will allow a slow building-out of pockets removed from Hamas control.
This article notes that the IDF believe this strategy will take more time.
The IDF will chip away at the top tier of the militant group. Meanwhile, these limited strikes will also reduce Hamas’s capacity to manufacture and deploy missiles, rockets, and armed drones. Though more time-consuming than the approach used by the IDF during Operation Protective Edge, the 50-day series of direct assaults on entrenched positions and tunnel networks in July and August 2014, this approach introduces far less risk—to both IDF troops and Palestinian civilians.
It’s worth noting that the IDF has already fought in Gaza before and is adapting. Hoping to see more info — like on Ukraine — on what is actually happening on the ground with this war. The coverage in mainstream press, so far IMHAO, is even worse than with Ukraine (little information on what the goals, actions are related to). FYI.