After 60 days of fighting as part of Operation Swords of Iron, which began on Shabbat Simchat Torah with the Hamas surprise attack, Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi issued a statement in which he refers to the deepening of the fighting in Gaza, the escalation in the north and responds to those who doubted the resumption of fighting after the ceasefire.
The full statement of Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi
60 days after the outbreak of hostilities, our forces crown the Khan Yunis area in the south of the Gaza Strip. At the same time, we continue to deepen the achievement in the northern Gaza Strip as well. Those who thought that the IDF would not know how to resume fighting at the end of the ceasefire - were wrong, Hamas feels this very well. In recent days, many Hamas activists, including senior Hamas commanders, have been eliminated.
In the last few days we have moved to the third phase of the maneuver. We took over many strongholds of Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip, and now we are operating against its centers of gravity in the south. We act professionally; evacuate the population ahead of time from the battle zones; attack Hamas above and below the ground, with combined attacks from the air, sea and land; we bring our ground forces into combat under a cloak of very high quality and very powerful intelligence and fire, with a high level of accuracy. Our forces meet many terrorists, harming them, effectively, with a level of professionalism that is certainly impressive.
Our forces have Shin Bet representatives, with the capabilities of this organization. Our forces have representatives from all parts of the IDF, this partnership really builds strength on the battlefield. We are asked a lot about the destruction in Gaza - Hamas is the address. Sinwar is the address. Our forces find weapons in almost every house, terrorists are found in many houses, we fight them. We understand that part of the method is weapons placed in houses, a terrorist comes to the house in civilian clothes and conducts the fighting from there. These things require the use of a wide range of fire, both to damage the enemy and, of course, to protect our forces. That's why they work with intensity, and at the same time making great efforts to minimize the harm to the uninvolved as much as possible.
The military pressure that we are exerting and have exerted in recent weeks is inflicting a severe blow on Hamas, and promotes the achievement of all the goals of the war, including the supreme goal of returning the abductees home. Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet commanders in combat in the northern Gaza Strip. I hear them, talk to them, they say very clearly - we are ready and willing to do everything to return abductees, to do everything to harm Hamas and dismantle this organization. And I see their wisdom, they also know how to turn these two tasks into complementary things rather than competing things, and we really do everything to return the abductees.
I want to say a few words about the northern border, the Lebanese border. Hezbollah chose at the end of the truce to open fire. We recognized it in advance, we prepared for it, and we act resolutely against anyone who is preparing or perpetrating harm to the citizens of Israel, IDF soldiers or creating a threat to our territory. We charge Hezbollah a big price that this organization tries to hide, it probably knows why. We are indeed focused on the Gaza Strip, but at the same time we continue the operational activity whose purpose is to bring a better, much better, reality on the northern border.
At the Central Command, in Judea and Samaria, we are increasing the fight against terrorism, so far we must say with great success. In the last two months, over 1,200 Hamas operatives were arrested in Judea and Samaria, many terrorists were arrested and killed who carried out attacks, some of them very serious, in the past, some of them were preparing to carry out attacks, and we are very determined to continue this effort.
A few days ago we experienced a tragic event in Jerusalem, in which the late Yuval Doron Castleman was killed. It is important for me to say, we praise the heroism of a citizen who bravely ran into the fire, to stop the killing of civilians. This is really heroic. In the same breath, we emphasize the necessity to adhere to the necessary basic rules in such complex cases, shooting in a civilian environment. Don't rush to shoot when the risk is low and we don't shoot at those who put their hands up. The specific case itself is of course still under investigation; these insights, it is important that we all know now.
I pass a lot between the forces, see our men and women very determined, fighting with our most senior commanders at their head. We lost in this war some of the best of our commanders, who fought at the head of the forces. Both on the seventh of October and afterwards. This is how it is customary in the IDF on the battlefield - the commanders are in front. The IDF, with all its commanders, and all its soldiers, is entirely concerned with achieving the goals of the war. Among them, the creation of another security solution that will allow the residents to return to their homes - both in the south and in the north. The IDF is already dealing with this these days. Planning ahead.
We know that we will need more forces at the border, we know that we will need more capabilities and an increased and noticeable presence alongside the residents, in order to return safely - and we will do so. We will be there with you residents of the north and south. We, all the soldiers of the IDF, will do everything - everything - to repair what was hurt. For the murdered, this correction is too late. For life, for the continuity of life in the State of Israel, this amendment is necessary. We will not stop until we complete the task."
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