“We will continue to act to achieve the goals of the campaign – freeing the hostages and defeating Hamas”: IDF Chief of Staff’s assessment in Gaza
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, conducted a field tour and situational assessment today (Friday) in the Gaza Strip with the Head of Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, Commander of the 99th Division, Brig. Gen. Yoav Bronner, Head of the Operations Directorate, Brig. Gen. Israel Shomer, Commander of the 646th Brigade, Commander of the Northern Brigade, and additional commanders.
During the visit, the Chief of Staff spoke with reservists from the 99th Division and expressed appreciation for their efforts.
“Earlier this week, the IDF completed Operation ‘Like a Lion’ to eliminate a major existential threat to Israel,” Halevi said. “We met all the operation's goals and dealt a blow to Iran’s nuclear project. But the campaign is not over. Throughout the operation, I also kept my eyes on your actions here in Gaza. The infantry, armored, engineering, and other ground forces fighting bravely under complex conditions played a key role in our ability to act with strength against Iran.”
“One of the most symbolic and emotional moments this week,” he continued, “was watching from the command bunker the impressive U.S. strike on Iran while, at the same time, Israeli forces and the Shin Bet carried out a mission to rescue three hostages' bodies.”
“Iran took a hard hit,” Halevi emphasized. “The damage it sustained will ripple through its entire axis, including Hamas, whose main patron has now been weakened. There’s a real possibility this will help advance our goals in Gaza.”
“Gaza remains the main theater of operations,” he added. “In the coming period, we will reach the lines defined for this phase of ‘Chariots of Gideon.’ From there, new options will be presented to the political leadership. We will continue to act decisively to achieve the two campaign goals – the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”
“This week, we lost seven engineering soldiers from the 188th Brigade – some of our finest – in battle in Gaza. It’s a deeply painful loss. We are standing with their families in this difficult time, and we will thoroughly investigate the incident and learn from it.”
“To you, the reservists – my deep appreciation. You understand the urgency and report for duty every time you’re called. We held an assessment yesterday to explore easing your burden and will ensure you're only deployed when there’s a clear operational need.”