Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited troops in the Gaza Strip on Saturday amid preparations for the ceasefire with the Hamas terrorist group set to take effect on Sunday.
“I just returned from a visit to IDF forces in Gaza—commanders and fighters who, after long months of fighting, have begun operational preparations for the implementation of the agreement to return the hostages,” said Halevi.
“For more than 15 months, the IDF fought against Hamas and achieved significant achievements: We defeated Hamas’s military wing, eliminated the group’s leadership chain and its head, Yahya Sinwar,” the statement continued, adding that “the work is not finished here.”
“The IDF’s intense fighting has created the conditions for realizing the important goal that is before us today: returning the kidnapped men and women to their country and families,” the IDF chief continued.
Halevi revealed that the military was launching an “enhanced defense plan” for the Gaza border area, “which was planned in advance and combines defensive elements alongside offensive elements.”
“As part of the pledge between the IDF and Israeli society, which we did not keep on Oct. 7, [2023], we are determined to stand firm and ensure that a difficult, cruel and terrible event will not happen again,” he said.
“Our fighting has already created a different situation on the ground. Hamas has been hit very hard; we will not allow it to recover, we will not allow it to rule,” he continued. “The level of security today is much better than on Oct. 7, and even before that.”
As part of the preparations for the deal with Hamas, under which Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian terrorists—many with blood on their hands—to Judea and Samaria, the IDF bolstered its forces in the area, it announced separately on Saturday night.
The IDF said Halevi had ordered the deployment to Judea and Samaria of several additional companies for “counter-terrorism efforts through offensive operations and enhanced defensive measures in communities and on main routes, particularly concerning the release of prisoners.”