IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevy announced on Saturday that the IDF "approved today plans to continue the fighting and increase military pressure on Hamas. This pressure will lead to the return of the abductees. Tomorrow marks 100 days since their abduction, the task of returning them has not yet been completed. Every minute has critical significance, we are not indifferent to it."
Halevy confirmed that the IDF is "using all means, mostly secret, to return the hostages," and will continue to do so until it returns them all. "In order to bring about real results, we must continue to operate in enemy territory, not allow attempts to blackmail a ceasefire that will probably not bring real results. We must continue to press, and that is exactly what we are doing," the chief of staff stressed.
Herzi Halevy with fighters in Gaza, photo: IDF Spokesperson
Regarding Hamas leaders and their attitude toward the fighting, he said, "They are pinning their hopes on a cessation of the fighting and are convinced that this moment is near. In the name of such just causes, we are determined and persistent. These goals are complex to achieve and will take a long time – we've said it from the start. In order to dismantle Hamas, it is both necessary and necessary for us to have patience. There are currently four combat divisions operating in Gaza. The forces are advancing in the field according to plan, adapting their methods of operation to missions, terrain and the enemy.
"We have completed the dismantling of Hamas' military frameworks in the northern Gaza Strip, and now the forces are embarking on missions to deepen the achievement and preserve it in this area. There are still terrorists there, there is little infrastructure, we will continue to harm, persecute and destroy. We transferred the concentration of the effort to the center and south of the Gaza Strip. As part of the progress of the fighting, we have released some of the reserve forces, but of course we will need them in 2024 as well."
Regarding the various combat arenas, the Chief of Staff said: "We are fighting in several arenas simultaneously and with varying intensity. There will be no immunity for those who wish to kill us – not in Gaza, not in Judea and Samaria and not in other arenas throughout the Middle East."
Assessment of the situation of Judea and Samaria Division commanders after yesterday's attack, photo: IDF Spokesperson
Regarding the state of war in the northern arena, Halevy said, "Hezbollah chose to serve as a 'Hamas shield' on behalf of Iran, and we are charging it a growing price for this. The security situation in the north is already taking shape. South Lebanon is a combat zone, and it will remain so as long as Hezbollah operates from it. Hezbollah is liable to turn the entire Lebanese state into a combat zone, it will have a heavy price."
Among other things, Halevy also addressed the return of residents of the north and south to their homes, saying that "we are committed to changing the security situation in such a way as to allow the residents to return in absolute security to their homes – in the north and in the south."
Shooting to Metula. "South Lebanon is a combat zone", photo: uncredited
At the cabinet meeting on the "day after" held about a week ago, arrows of criticism were fired at the chief of staff for opening an investigation into the events of October 7. Halevy said this evening that "investigating the truth is the lifeblood of an army. We investigate all the time. That's how it is in the IDF, it's our way of learning and improving. An operational debriefing, of course, does not replace an external examination or investigation. We have not yet determined when we will begin debriefing, but we have determined that we will be debriefed as soon as possible. We must understand what happened, protect the residents of the envelope and ensure that this day does not happen again."
"The IDF, of course, is subordinate to the political echelon and respects it. It is necessary and appropriate to ask us questions and criticize us. We listen and learn from every statement, but the decision about the debriefing is an operational necessity and an internal decision, not a policy decision."
IDF Chief of Staff: "The decision on the debriefing - an operational necessity" // Photo: Shmuel Buchris
The Political-Security Cabinet (Archive), photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO
Asked by reporters about the possibility of returning Gaza residents to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, Halevy said that "it is wrong to return the population to areas that are still defined as combat zones."
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