Gaza - August 17, 2025 The Chief of Staff, Major General Eyal Zamir, conducted a field tour in the Gaza Strip with the Commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaniv Asor, the Head of the Operations Directorate, Major General Itzik Cohen, the Commander of Division 36, Brigadier General Moran Omer, brigade commanders, and other commanders. The Chief of Staff spoke with battalion and brigade commanders in the field, explained the plans for continuation, and emphasized his appreciation for their activities in the Gaza Strip during these days. From the remarks of the Chief of Staff, Major General Eyal Zamir: "We are approving the plan for the next phase of the war. As in the recent operations in Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza, we will continue to change the security reality. We will maintain the momentum of Gideon's Chariots while focusing on Gaza City. We will continue to strike until Hamas is defeated, with the hostages at the forefront of our minds. We will act with a sophisticated, measured, and responsible strategy. The IDF will employ all its capabilities on land, in the air, and at sea to strike Hamas with force. Soon we will move to the next phase of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots,' in which we will continue to deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City until its defeat. Operation 'Gideon's Chariots' has achieved its objectives; Hamas no longer possesses the capabilities it had before the operation, and we have struck it hard. The current campaign is not a one-off; it is another component in a long-term, planned strategy, with a multi-theater perspective aimed at striking all elements of the axis, primarily Iran. You have been fighting continuously for nearly two years, achieving unprecedented accomplishments that bring security to the residents of the Gaza envelope and all Israeli citizens. I am proud of you. The IDF bears the moral duty to bring the hostages home, both the living and the fallen."