During a multi-front situational assessment, the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir made a veiled reference to recent tensions over the government's reported intention to conquer the remaining 25% of the Gaza Strip where the IDF has yet to operate, stating: "We are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defense of the state. And we do so while looking our soldiers and citizens straight in the eye."
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a high-level situational assessment Thursday with the General Staff Forum. The meeting reviewed the current situation in all operational fronts and laid out the IDF's plans going forward.
"We are continuing to fight on all fronts. The echo of our strikes is constantly heard throughout the Middle East," Zamir said during the session.
As has been widely reported, a rift has recently emerged between Israel's military and political leadership over the latter's apparent push for a full military takeover of the Gaza Strip. On Thursday evening local Israel time, Zamir is expected to brief political leaders on the implications of sending forces into the remaining parts of Gaza where the IDF has not yet operated. He will argue that such an operation would not only endanger the lives of the 20 remaining hostages held by the Hamas terrorist organization, but also pose a major risk to the IDF's already depleted manpower.
Zamir is expected to stress the long timelines that would be required for the IDF to capture the entirety of the Strip, as well as the heightened danger to soldiers' lives.
Disputes, Zamir said in the assessment, are intrinsic to Israel's national identity and an essential component of the IDF's organizational culture. "We will continue to voice our position without fear - factually, independently, and professionally. That is what we expect from our commanders as well. This is where the responsibility lies, at this table."
He added: "We are not dealing in theory. We are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defense of the state. And we do so while looking our soldiers and the citizens of this country straight in the eye. We will continue to act with responsibility, integrity, and determination, with the sole focus being the good of the country and its security."
Commenting on Operation Gideon's Chariots, which has been ongoing in Gaza, Zamir said: "We are nearing the final lines of Operation Gideon's Chariots. We met the operation's objectives and went beyond them. We now have the capacity to establish a new security border, while inflicting ongoing damage to the enemy. We will no longer tolerate containment. We intend to defeat and dismantle Hamas."
He concluded: "We will continue acting with the hostages clear in our mind. We will do everything to bring them home."
