Lt. Col. Itamar Etam, commander of Battalion 6282, spoke to Arutz Sheva – Israel National News and said that the IDF must remain in the Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas from reinstating the capabilities it had before October 7th.
"We are winning," Etam emphasized and added: "We have to be stubborn. We have to continue what we are doing. The IDF knows how to win and will definitely win. We must win, we have no other choice."
He noted that "in Gaza things are clear, the destruction of Hamas, the killing of Hamas leaders, the disbandment of all Hamas units and control of the territory. Give the IDF as much freedom of action as necessary, until Hamas ceases to exist and the residents of the surrounding areas can live in peace and security."
On the military echelon, Etam said: "I am there with the combat soldiers on the ground, and I see great spirits. I see skills. I see heroism. We cannot win without winning. The goals of the war have been clearly defined and they include the dismantling of Hamas's military capabilities and destruction of its organizational capabilities. We are still far from that and in order to achieve these goals, we must control the area to allow freedom of action for the IDF. It is obvious that if we leave the Philadelphi Corridor without retaining control over it, Hamas will once again regain its strength through there."
Etam was asked whether technological measures and the withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza will make any difference: "I think we have already given up on this illusion. No fences, no walls, no observations, and no technological findings. Neither the Egyptians nor the Saudis or anyone else will do the work for us. If we are not in these places and we do not control the territory, we will see the continued strengthening of Hamas and its return to the capabilities it had nine months ago."
Etam concluded, saying: "We have been fighting this war for 120 years, and it will probably continue for several more years to come. But we must ensure that we come out of it differently this time. I say once again, illusions and blindfolding have not proven themselves to be successful."