Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday toured the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, which remains under Israeli military control in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas.

Zamir received an overview of developments, “with an emphasis on the defensive effort, removing threats and maintaining constant readiness for a rapid shift and transition to offensive activities,” the IDF stated.

The chief of staff told senior IDF commanders during the visit, “We will continue to insist that the Hamas regime will not exist on the other side of the border. Even if this requires time, we will persist in the mission of dismantling Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip—achieving this either through an agreement or through military means.”