Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situation assessment at the Southern Command today (Tuesday) and closely reviewed the operational plans for the continuation of the fighting. Later, he spoke with the commanders and fighters of Givati who fought in the north of the Gaza Strip and are preparing for the resumption of fighting.
Gallant told the fighters: "There is no force that can stop the Givati Brigade, it starts moving from the Erez checkpoint, it ends it at the Rafah crossing, if it decides to do it - and this has been proven. You have the ability to go anywhere, and perform any task - that's the main thing that happened here.
"We are working to defeat Hamas and create the conditions to return the abductees," Gallant said in a conversation with the fighters. "So far, 50 have been released within the Gaza Strip, 30 children among them. This was achieved thanks to your action. When you don't press Hamas, nothing happens, when you press you have something to give them - rest and peace. It needs it as air to breathe and we gave it for what we need. Therefore, the following moves will also bring similar results.
"In contrast, what you will meet is the opposite, we are working to free hostages and are careful not to harm the civilian population wherever we can. Hamas uses the civilian population as a human shield. We do not harm civilians in a deliberate way, we isolate them from the battlefield, and on the other hand we hit Hamas everywhere. This is the basis and the principle.
"Use the time well. The missions will reach a different place, in a different way, with an equally high intensity, and fighting will be required. Learn all the lessons, transfer all the relevant lessons between you from sector to sector, from unit to unit, from company to company, from team to team. Be prepared - equipment, armament, restock all tools - all subjects. Whoever needs to train, improve something, reset something, arrange something - do it, you never know when we'll need it."