IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Tuesday responded to public tensions with the political echelon, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the ground phase of Operation Gideon Chariots II in Gaza City. Zamir said the army “serves the people,” and that it is his duty to present all possible security implications before any action.
Watch IDF ground troops enter Gaza City
(Photo: IDF)
“The IDF is the people’s army; that is the source of its strength. As commander of the army, it is my duty to present all possible security implications before any operation. All risks and opportunities were presented to the political echelon clearly and professionally. Now we are deepening the achievement that will bring the war closer to its conclusion,” he said.
Addressing concerns of hostage families that the urban operation could endanger captives, Zamir reiterated that returning the hostages is the war’s objective and a moral and national obligation. He praised the thousands of reservists called up for the campaign and thanked their families for bearing the burden.
“We recruited thousands of reservists for the campaign, and they operate alongside the regular forces. I want to express my deep appreciation to them and to their families, who carry the heavy burden. They are the spearhead of the IDF and the guarantors of Israel’s security,” he said.
Zamir also saluted troops who will spend the upcoming holidays away from home: “Even now, as the people of Israel gather around holiday tables, our soldiers stand on defense and attack out of mission and deep commitment to the people — a unity and comradeship without substitute.”
'Hamas has created the largest human shield in history in Gaza City'
Earlier, IDF spokesperson Col. Effie Defrin said the operation’s goal is to recover 48 hostages and defeat Hamas’s forces in Gaza City. “Forces now hold extensive parts of Gaza City,” he said, adding that recent strikes have hit dozens of high-rise buildings where Hamas placed observation posts and terror infrastructure.
Defrin estimated that more than 350,000 residents have evacuated the city southward so far, and that the IDF is coordinating humanitarian aid in line with international law. He said the current urban maneuver involves three divisions — 98 and 162 are operating now, with Division 36 due to join — and will continue “as required, under an orderly and evolving plan to achieve the war’s objectives.”
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in Gaza City
(Video: IDF )
Asked whether the operation contradicted the security chiefs’ recommendations — after Zamir warned the maneuver could exact a heavy price and pose risks to hostages — the spokesman said: “I expect the chief of staff, as a father of soldiers, to state his professional truth and present the implications derived from his analysis. That is his role and responsibility. At the same time, we are subordinate to the political echelon and will act to achieve the war’s aims.”
On the timeline, Defrin said it could take months to secure Gaza City’s key centers and additional months to clear infrastructure. “We operate according to continuous assessments. We are ready and prepared; the situation is sufficient and good,” he added.
During the documented entry into Gaza City, radio communications captured the order from the 98th Division commander, Brig. Gen. Guy Levy: “The hour has arrived; we are launching a decisive and fateful attack on Hamas in its stronghold in Gaza City.”
“We will go out united, with our heads held high and with storming spirit, and strike the enemy with might. The objectives are clear: to destroy the enemy and its infrastructure in our sector, return our abducted brethren and ensure Israeli civilians begin the new year in safety. Our strength is in our unity; together we will charge the enemy with full force, attacking him from land, air and sea until victory,” he also said.