IDF chief says Hamas trying to hide fate of Marwan Issa
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in a press statement says Hamas is trying to hide the fate of Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of the terror group’s military wing who was targeted in an Israeli strike last week, while stating that the military is readying itself to operate in southern Gaza’s Rafah.
“We are fighting a just, multi-front, and complex war, with many achievements, which are expanding. We still have a long way to go until the goals of the war are achieved,” he says, adding that “in the Gaza Strip, we are surprising the enemy, initiating, and further deepening the achievements.”
He says that in northern Gaza, the IDF is “returning and raiding areas where we operated, with new intelligence, using different methods, expanding the damage to Hamas, killing operatives and destroying infrastructure in a targeted and high-quality manner.”
In Khan Younis, Halevi says the IDF is continuing to dismantle Hamas’s brigade in the city in southern Gaza. “We killed many terrorists and arrested many senior terrorists for interrogation. Those who remain alive, are hiding, have difficulty functioning, we will reach them too,” he vows.
Speaking on last week’s airstrike on Issa and other operatives in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, Halevi says the IDF “attacked senior Hamas commanders… whose fate Hamas tries very hard to hide.”
“We embarked on this operation after many days of complex planning, creating the operational conditions, and gathering sufficient intelligence. This is a very important achievement for the IDF. A capability we have built over the years together with the Shin Bet, a combination of high-quality intelligence and precise fire from the Air Force, which enables the elimination of senior officials underground,” he says.
“This attack is an expression of the IDF’s ability to reach the most complex places, at the right time, and with high precision. We will continue the effort to eliminate the senior officials. This is a major goal in the war,” Halevi says.
Amid the ongoing fighting, he says the IDF continues to plan operations in “areas where we have not yet operated,” referring to southern Gaza’s Rafah and some areas in central Gaza.
“The IDF is preparing for offenses in the additional areas and together with the political echelon we will decide on the timing and the appropriate conditions,” Halevi says.
“As soon as it is decided, the IDF will act with full force and determination. We are determined to act wherever Hamas is building its strength. It is wrong to leave Hamas brigades and Hamas battalions functioning,” he continues.
He says “Hamas can lay down its weapons and surrender, otherwise, we will continue with great force, until the complete dissolution of Hamas, until the hostages are returned to their homes. The return of the hostages is one of the goals of the war, and the IDF will do everything to realize it.”
Halevi refuses to comment on the hostage negotiation talks, saying that “we are working with determination in every way to bring about the release of the hostages.”
“One thing is certain, the IDF will implement any decision that is made and will know how to continue fighting at every stage,” he says.
Regarding Ramadan, Halevi says that Hamas “has chosen to escalate during Ramadan,” while the IDF is “more alert, strong and prepared, everywhere, all the time, non-stop.”
“Every development in one arena affects the other arenas of war. We work first of all to maintain security, thwart and prevent terror attacks, alongside the desire to facilitate Ramadan,” he adds.
On the northern front, Halevi says the military continues to damage Hezbollah’s capabilities and kill its operatives.
“Hezbollah started with strikes, and is paying a heavy, ever-increasing price,” he says.
Halevi says he is aware of the “great difficulty of the residents of the north, who have been evacuated from their homes for a very long time.”
“We will return the residents only with full security. To that end, we will go through any means necessary. The IDF and its commanders are determined, ready for this, this is our duty,” he says.
