Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited soldiers inside the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
A video released by the military showed Halevi holding an assessment with commanders and troops.
Earlier in the war, Halevi admitted that the military had failed to protect Israel’s citizens.
“The IDF is responsible for the security of the country and its citizens, and on Saturday morning in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, we did not do it. We will learn. We will investigate. But now is the time for war,” the general said.
Halevi said that Hamas were “murderous terrorists, human animals,” adding that Yahya Sinwar, the terror group’s leader in Gaza, and “the entire system under him are dead men. We will attack them. We will dismantle them.”
On Saturday night, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the IDF was engaged in “difficult battles” in Gaza.
“We completed the encirclement of Gaza City days ago and have entered built-up areas, fighting against terrorists. The terrorists are encountering the focused power of the IDF,” said Gallant. “Many terrorists have been killed.
Hamas’s leadership is responsible for the mass murder attack on Oct. 7, “and will reach them all,” he said. “I tell Gazan civilians if you get to the leadership before us, it’ll make the Gaza war shorter.”
