Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday presented Israel's principles of policy for the war in Gaza, as it is implemented on the ground by the IDF.
"First and foremost, we are making every effort to bring about the release of all of the hostages under the Witkoff plan, and to build a bridge to defeat Hamas later on," Katz said.
As part of the effort to change the situation on the ground, Katz said that Israel is working to stop the humanitarian aid, something which harms Hamas' control of the local population, and is advancing a new method of distribution by means of civilian companies.
Katz also said that the IDF is constantly continuing its widescale operations to hurt Hamas terrorists and infrastructure, while placing emphasis on evacuating the civilian population from the areas in which the fighting is ongoing and readying the area "with great force from the air, land, and sea." He stressed that "the welfare of our soldiers is, in our eyes, a foremost priority," and noted that heavy vehicles are being used to manage explosives and destroy dangerous buildings.
Israel is also working "to clear the area of terror infrastructure above and below ground, and to annex the area, including control points, to the Israel's security areas for the purpose of defending the [Israeli] towns. Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas which were cleared and taken. The IDF will remain in the security areas as a buffer between the enemy and the towns, in all temporary or permanent situation in Gaza - just like in Syria and Lebanon."
"Thus far, we have evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents and added dozens of percent of the area to the security areas. At the same time, a plan is being advanced to allow voluntary emigration for Gaza's residents. The pressure on Hamas to advance the plan is heavy, and the tension between it and the local population is increasing. For the first time, the Egyptians also set as a condition a general deal and the end of the war together with disarming Hamas and Gaza."
Concluding his statements, Katz said, "During the meeting and discourse with the the command chief, division chiefs, brigade chiefs, and battalion chiefs who are leading the battle in Gaza at the head of the enlisted and reserve forces, they showed great determination and absolute belief in the necessity of the goals of the war and the ability to implement them releasing all of the hostages and not leaving such an enemy near our borders. If Hamas maintains its refusal, the operations will expand and move to the next stages. The IDF is determined and strong. The citizens of Israel have someone to depend on."