Halevi: Hamas ‘severely weakened,’ IDF won’t let it ‘recover or be in control’ of Gaza

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi speaks after a visit to northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun, January 18. 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi speaks after a visit to northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun, January 18. 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in a video statement says the military’s intensive fighting against Hamas enables the release of the hostages in the upcoming ceasefire agreement.

“For more than a year and three months, the IDF has been fighting Hamas and has important achievements – we have defeated Hamas’s military wing and eliminated the organization’s chain of command and its leader, Yahya Sinwar,” Halevi says following a visit to northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun.

“The work doesn’t end here. We still have a lot more to do. We will do this with great strength and determination. The IDF’s powerful fighting has created the conditions necessary to achieve the critical objective before us today: returning the hostages to their homeland and their families,” he says, adding that the fighting “comes at a heavy cost.”

“At this time, alongside the excitement and anticipation, we in the IDF are committed to all the hostages and their families – soldiers and civilians alike. We will not stop or rest until they all return,” Halevi says.

He says the IDF and Shin Bet’s activities in Gaza “have been decisive in creating the conditions for the agreement that was reached.”

“In the coming days, the IDF will prepare for a reinforced defensive posture along the Gaza Strip border, a plan that was pre-planned and incorporates defensive as well as offensive components,” Halevi says.

“In the promise between the IDF and Israeli society, which we failed to uphold on October 7, we are determined to stand firm and ensure that such a difficult, cruel, and horrific event will never happen again,” he continues.

Halevi says the IDF’s operations in Gaza have “already created a new situation on the ground.”

“Hamas has been severely weakened, and we will not allow it to recover, or allow it to be in control. The level of security today is significantly better than it was on October 7 and also prior,” he says.

“Despite the initial failure, the IDF in this war planned, implemented, and achieved many accomplishments. The Middle East is undergoing changes, our map of threats has completely changed, new opportunities have opened, and we are preparing for new challenges. Throughout this journey, we have been determined to achieve the objectives of the war – and we will continue to,” Halevi says.

“My thoughts today are with the families of the hostages whose return dates have not yet been set and with the families awaiting the return of their loved ones soon. The IDF stands with you,” he adds.

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