Yoav Gallant & Yuli Edelstein at the meeting
Yoav Gallant & Yuli Edelstein at the meetingAriel Hermoni/IMoD

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) on Tuesday spoke to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud), about the ongoing war, providing the Committee members with an operational briefing.

During the meeting, Gallant discussed the IDF’s progress in fighting and dismantling Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the various efforts to ensure the return of the hostages held by Hamas, and the IDF’s counterterrorism operations.

Minister Gallant also touched on the essential need to recruit additional personnel to the IDF, and said that the defense establishment is currently preparing to formulate a framework that will enable the recruitment of a growing portion of the Orthodox public – a framework that takes into account the conditions required for an observant lifestyle. Minister Gallant elaborated on the efforts undertaken to adapt the IDF’s various programs for the recruitment of Orthodox individuals, and emphasized that he will continue to work on formulating legislation on this issue under a wide consensus.

“We are currently in a multi-front war – we see evidence of this every day, including over the last few days. We operate everywhere, every day, in order to prevent our enemies from gaining strength and in order to make it clear to anyone who threatens us – all over the Middle East – that the price for such action will be a big one,” he said.

“Hamas has ceased to function as a military organization in most parts of the Gaza Strip. Their commanders are hiding in tunnels, they have lost command and control capabilities, the battalion frameworks in most parts of the Strip have ceased to function. The Hamas brigade in Rafah however, is still standing, with its four battalions. We will address this soon.”

“Military pressure was and remains the main and most significant element in ensuring the return of the hostages. The advanced stage we have reached in dismantling Hamas and the information that we have gained from terrorists, empower us at the negotiation table and enable us to make difficult decisions. I am committed to returning all the hostages to their homes.”