IDF chief says Israel ready to shift from defence to offensive ops in Gaza

Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, visited the area near the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where he carried out an inspection of Israeli troops deployed in the area.

According to the press service of the Israel Defence Forces, Zamir stated that Israel’s strategic objective remains unchanged — the complete demilitarisation of the enclave and the disarmament of the Hamas movement.

“We are acting in accordance with the directives of the Israeli political leadership, maintaining military plans aimed at their defeat, and we are prepared to carry out defensive actions as necessary,” the general said, according to the army’s statement.

Zamir noted that Israeli forces currently stationed in Gaza are overseeing security at border crossings while “precisely dismantling terrorist infrastructure” across the enclave.

“We are ready to move from a defensive posture to offensive operations. We will respond to any violation [of the ceasefire by radicals] and weaken their capabilities. Recently, we eliminated numerous terrorists, including senior members of terrorist organisations,” he added.

Addressing servicemen during the visit, the chief of staff expressed confidence that the Israeli military has achieved significant results on all fronts over the past two years.

“Terrorism will not go unpunished anywhere. What is applied to terrorists in Gaza is applied to terrorists on other fronts as well. We will continue to maintain focus and eliminate threats, acting decisively and proactively,” Zamir said.

By Tamilla Hasanova