Hamas understands that its position is becoming “unbearable,” Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Monday, adding, “and I’m telling you—we won’t stop.”
Speaking during a situation assessment on Monday night in the Jabalia area of the Gaza Strip, Halevi emphasized the ongoing military pressure on the terrorist group and vowed to maintain it.
הרמטכ״ל בג'באליה: ״נביא את חמאס לנקודה שהם יבינו שהם צריכים להביא את כל החטופים חזרה״ pic.twitter.com/PUwbfmzW3G
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 7, 2025
“We will bring them to the point where they understand that they must return all the hostages. Otherwise, the highly professional work you are doing will continue and continue—taking more prisoners and killing more operatives. And I know you are doing everything possible to minimize casualties on our side,” he said.
He was joined by senior commanders, including Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, commanding officer of the Southern Command; Brig Gen. Itzik Cohen, commanding officer of the 162nd Division; and several brigade commanders.
Israeli strikes target Hamas terrorists
In response to ongoing threats, an IDF helicopter gunship targeted a Hamas command center, hidden inside a school building in the Jabalia area, the army announced Wednesday afternoon.
“Hamas terrorists used the school as a base to plan and carry out attacks against IDF forces and Israel,” the military statement said.
The strike was executed following intelligence gathered by the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, the army’s Southern Command and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), which had been carefully coordinated to minimize harm to civilians.
Before launching the strike, the military implemented several measures to ensure the safety of noncombatants, it said.
On Tuesday evening, the Israeli Air Force carried out targeted strikes against multiple terrorists in the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza. These individuals were directly involved in Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre within Israeli territory, the IDF said.
The attacks were conducted based on intelligence from the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
Extensive precautions were taken to minimize harm to civilians, according to the military, including the deployment of precision-guided munitions, aerial surveillance and detailed intelligence assessments.
“The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law, while exploiting civilian infrastructure and the Gazan population as human shields for terrorist activity,” the IDF said, adding that it will continue to pursue the terrorists who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre.
