We entered the Gaza Strip through the nearest entry point to Nahal Oz and Kfar Aza, which was breached on October 7, allowing dozens of Gaza terrorists to infiltrate and attack Israel. Inside Gaza, we encountered soldiers from various units.
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"We've been in the Strip for a long time, and we will continue to stay as long as necessary," said Roni Mauram, a 23-year-old Kfir Brigade sergeant who has been stationed in Gaza for over 70 days. "My family is proud, my dad also serves in reserves in the north. Mom is at home with my younger brother. We do what needs to be done," he said.
Mauram said that, even after such a long time, the morale among the soldiers in the combat zone remains high. "When such a mission is right in front of your eyes, you can't be down. The troops feel it," he said.
Zohar Miller, from the IDF reserves, marked his 22nd birthday in Gaza while stationed in his APC. "At home, they worry, but they are very proud and supportive, and it gives me strength to continue," he said. "It's our turn now. My grandfather was an officer in the Paratroopers on Yom Kippur and during the Six-Day War, my uncle fought in Lebanon, and now it's my turn."
We also met Colonel Daniel Ela, a 32-year-old commander of the 52nd Battalion in the Givati Brigade, whose wife also has a military career. "My wife is strong and supportive. I think she understands what we do because she also serves in the army, and the support from home over time is constructive," he shared. Daniel joined the ground forces 86 days ago and rarely returns home.
Daniel said that, in the past week, he and other soldiers began a "systematic destruction" of Hamas' rocket capabilities. "We receive a geographical area where there is intelligence about rockets that were fired or are about to be launched. We go to the area, take control of it, and essentially come to destroy that capability," he explained.
"On Sunday we had an encounter in the area we are working in. A terrorist came out of a tunnel and fired an anti-tank missile. There were no casualties. In the end, we neutralized that threat, and now we are working on destroying the tunnel from which they came," he added. One of the most significant tasks for him was retrieving body parts of a fallen soldier from October 7.
Mayan Rubin, a 23-year-old paramedic from the 52nd Battalion, received her call-up on October 7 and has been in Gaza since then. "At home, they worry but support me," she said. The 52nd Battalion is currently operating in the Daraj and Tuffah neighborhoods in northern Gaza, where some of the terrorists who entered Nahal Oz and Kfar Aza originated.
On the outskirts of Jabaliya, the soldiers reached an olive grove where rocket launchers were located and had been destroyed by the IDF.
Col. Nissim Hazan, commander of the Givati Brigade, emphasized that the destruction of these launchers is a very crucial mission, and completing it will take time.
"The enemy exploits open and closed areas to fire on Israel. Hamas exploits its own civilians and territories that are not theirs, hiding terror infrastructure and ammunition. Our mission now is to purify it," he said. "We will move from area to area. It will take a few months, but we have full motivation and determination, and we will reach every place."