The Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, today (Sunday) conducted a field tour of the Gaza Strip with the Commander of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, the Head of the Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, the Commander of the 36th Division, Maj. Gen. Moran Omer, the brigade commanders and other commanders.
The Chief of Staff spoke with the battalion and brigade commanders in the field, explained the plans for the future, and emphasized his appreciation for their activity in Gaza these days.
"Today we are approving the plan for the next phase of the war. As in the recent operations in Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza, we will continue to change the security reality. We will maintain the momentum of Gideon's Chariots while focusing on Gaza City. We will continue to attack until Hamas is defeated, focusing on the return of the hostages. "We will operate with a sophisticated, considered and responsible strategy. The IDF will use all its capabilities on land, in the air and at sea to strike Hamas with force," he said.
"We will soon embark on the next phase of Operation Gideon's Chariots, in which we will continue to deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City until it is defeated. Operation Gideon's Chariots achieved its goals. Hamas does not currently possess the same capabilities it had before the operation. We have severely damaged it. The current campaign is not a one-off, it is another step in a long-term and planned plan, from a multi-sectoral perspective to damage all components of the axis, led by Iran.
You have been fighting for almost two years in a row, you have achieved unprecedented achievements, which bring security to the residents of the encirclement and to all citizens of Israel. I am proud of you. The IDF has a moral obligation to return the hostages, both alive and dead, back home."
