Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir toured the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, accompanied by top-ranking officers including Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and division commanders. He listened to the sounds of military activity and reviewed the progress made since the October 7 attacks. The visit aimed to assess the situation on the ground and to reinforce the IDF’s commitment to the security of Israeli communities. The tone in the field was urgent, with Zamir underlining the importance of safeguarding civilians above all else.
Zamir told senior commanders that the IDF had significantly altered the security landscape in Gaza, delivering a 'severe blow' to Hamas. He highlighted that military forces are now permanently stationed along the border to ensure the safety of nearby Israeli communities. 'The IDF is at the front,' he emphasized, 'not behind the communities.' He added that the campaign in Gaza is not isolated but part of a broader multi-front operation. 'We are working across several fronts simultaneously,' he said, 'maintaining the same spirit in each one.'
A mission of pursuit
During his visit, Zamir commended the Southern Command and the units operating in the sector for their offensive strategy. His focus was on the pursuit of those responsible for the October 7 attack. 'We will not allow another threat like this to emerge,' he stated, vowing to track down every terrorist involved in the massacre. He stressed the importance of eliminating threats before they can reemerge, ensuring no similar catastrophe occurs in the future. Zamir also provided some insight into IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, explaining that the pursuit of everyone involved in the October 7 massacre 'is a permanent and ongoing mission that the command is carrying out with great success.' Over the weekend the IDF carried out a series of strikes in the Gaza strip, killing several Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists, including Mahmoud Fatair, a commander in the PIJ's Central Gaza Brigade who infiltrated Israel on October 7 and took part in holding Rom Braslavski hostage.
Zamir described the mission of identifying and holding accountable those responsible for October 7 as a 'permanent mission.' He noted that the faces of victims, such as the Bibas family, were etched into the minds of soldiers and commanders. 'We will continue until we bring every person to justice,' he declared. He made it clear that the IDF would pursue all individuals involved in the attack, regardless of how long it took. Speaking on August 5, 2026, the day that would have been Ariel Bibas' seventh birthday, Zamir said that 'The images from the communities, the Bibas family, the surveillance soldiers, and all the victims of the October 7th massacre are before our eyes every day.'
Security as a continuous process
In closing his remarks, Zamir reiterated the IDF's unwavering commitment to the security of communities near Gaza. 'Your protection is our mission,' he told the commanders. He pointed out that the security reality in the region had already been fundamentally transformed and would continue to be improved to protect civilians. The Chief of Staff emphasized the need to remain proactive in all areas to ensure the safety and stability of Israel's southern border.
Zamir did not mention specific timelines or a plan for a ceasefire. Instead, his message was one of ongoing action—offensive, deliberate, and focused. The tone was clear: the IDF would continue to operate with determination, maintaining the initiative and safeguarding the people living near the border. The spirit of the troops, he said, was a key strength in this mission, as was their commitment to the mission's principles.