‘War will not stop until Hamas is totally defeated’ – IDF chief

Israel has mobilized 130,000 reservists, with tens of thousands more called up in recent days as the military expands operations deeper into the Gaza Strip.

By World Israel News Staff

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Israel will continue fighting Hamas until achieving a decisive victory over the terror group, as the military prepares to expand operations in the Gaza Strip and conquer Gaza City.

“We will not stop the war until we defeat this enemy. Hamas will have no place to hide from us. Wherever we locate them, whether they are senior or junior figures, we strike them all, all the time,” Zamir told reservists and active-duty soldiers during a tour of the Nachshonim Base in central Israel.

“We have already begun the Gaza maneuver. We are already entering places we have never entered before and operating there with courage, strength, valor, and an extraordinary spirit,” he added.

Zamir emphasized that the military is “preparing for the continuation of the war,” pledging that the IDF would “increase and enhance the strikes of our operation.”

In a recorded statement to troops released Tuesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war is entering a “decisive stage.”

The premier vowed that Israel is moving toward “total victory” over Hamas.

Netanyahu spoke about Israel’s recent military successes, saying that the IDF has “done wonders in breaking the Iranian axis, both in Gaza and with Hezbollah in Lebanon…and with Iran itself that threatened us with existential threats, which we removed together, and now we are facing the Houthis.”

“What began in Gaza must end in Gaza,” Netanyahu said, referencing the October 7 Hamas-led massacres.

Speaking to soldiers, he added: “I believe in you, I trust you, and the entire nation embraces you.”

In recent days, tens of thousands of reservists have been called up as the fighting expands, following months of stalled ceasefire and hostage negotiations with Hamas.

Defense Minister Israel Katz authorized the call-up of 60,000 reservists and extended duty for another 20,000 in late August, raising the total number of active reservists to 130,000.