Setting the schedule: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant paid a visit today (Thursday) to the Shayetet 13 base and noted that the lull in fighting following the hostage deal will be short, after which the campaign will last for at least two months. This is the first time that a senior member of the security establishment sets a schedule of the continuation of the fighting.
During his stay at the Shayetet 13 base, Gallant held a review of the unit's activities in the war together with the commander of the Navy Major General David Sa'ar Salameh, the deputy commander of the unit and the company commanders.
The Minister of Defense expressed his appreciation to the fighters for their activities to curb Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip envelope and to destroy terrorist infrastructure as part of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip. Also, the Minister of Defense stated the operational plans for the continuation of the operation in Gaza.
Gallant: "If you apply pressure, there is someone to talk to"
The Minister of Defense spoke to the fighters and emphasized to them the continuation of the assassinations of the terrorist operatives in the Strip: "We are going to eliminate Hamas as a military and governmental framework. The chain of command needs to be eliminated, both those at the top, and the people in the field - company commanders, battalion commanders, brigade commanders, and operatives in the field."
Gallant noted that putting pressure on Hamas would result in the release of additional groups of abductees. "What became clear in this operation from the very first stages is the well-known and obvious fact that Hamas only understands force. And the meaning is - if you put pressure on it there is someone to talk to, if you don't put pressure you can wait on the lines of the Gaza Strip for months and years and no one will talk to you, because their demands are completely different things and not the release of prisoners. Therefore, the application of pressure is the basis of the matter."
According to him, "What you will see in the coming days is the beginning of the release of abductees. This respite will be short. What is required of you in this respite is to organize, get ready, do research, arm yourself and get ready to continue. There will be a continuation, because we need to complete the victory and create the levers for the next groups of abductees who will only come as a result of pressure."
The Minister of Defense added, "This is a war, there is no choice. When you have 1500 people kidnapped and killed, you must create a situation where you destroy the organization standing in front of you, otherwise you have no deterrence that will allow life, and you have no deterrence that will allow life in the Middle East. If Jewish blood becomes abandoned, then everyone does as they please, if it has a price that cannot be borne, we are treated with respect."
Finally, he emphasized to the soldiers the continuation of the operation time of the campaign. "I estimate that for at least the next month or two there will be intense fighting, and then there will be many operations in which the Shayetet will have something to do - until there is no military threat from the Gaza Strip and we will have freedom of action to do what we want at any given moment."