From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
IDF chief says a strong home front enables military ‘to keep functioning’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visits the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile impact in Bat Yam, saying, “civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning.”
“We are fighting a war here that leaves us no choice, and it is being conducted across all dimensions. We are determined to complete our missions, and everything we were tasked with, we will achieve,” Zamir says to Home Front Command officers in a video published by the IDF.
“We are in an extraordinary moment. Right now, we are hunting ballistic missiles, there are UAVs out there, our fighter jets are involved, it’s something crazy, 1,500 kilometers from Israel, we’re tracking and destroying those ballistic missiles,” he says.
“Now your layer comes in, and it’s a very significant layer in the sense that when something hits, forces are on the ground, and people draw strength from seeing you,” he says to the Home Front Command officers. “You arrive quickly, rescue people safely, treat the wounded, and sadly, there are also fatalities in these events.”
“Civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning. You said it yourselves: We’re not stopping now. Why aren’t we stopping? Because the home front’s resilience is strong. When the resilience of the home front is strong, we have the confidence to keep operating,” Zamir adds.
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