IDF chief tours Gaza, says army must be ready to conquer more of Strip if needed

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the military must be ready to seize additional territory in the Gaza Strip, beyond the current ceasefire lines, if necessary.

“In the Gaza Strip, we control more than 50% of the territory, without controlling the population. The Yellow Line serves as a line of encirclement and control, and we continue to act to prevent Hamas’s build-up by holding the [strategic] terrain and the gateways to Gaza,” Zamir says during a visit to the Rafah area of southern Gaza today.

“If required, we must be prepared for a rapid transition to a broad offensive to seize territory in the Gaza Strip on the other side of the Yellow Line,” he is quoted by the IDF as saying.

Zamir says troops continue to operate on the Israeli side of the line “to clear the area [of Hamas infrastructure] and enemy pockets.”

“We will continue to insist that Hamas’s rule will not exist on the other side of the border. Even if it takes time, we will persist in the mission of dismantling Hamas and demilitarizing the Strip, achieving this either through an agreement or through military means,” he adds.