IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced the launch of “Phase B” of Israel’s war against Hamas during a visit to the Gaza Division on Wednesday, telling top commanders that the time has come to escalate military operations.
“This is the hour of need,” said Zamir. “We will expand and intensify our actions. This is a battle for spirit, for perseverance and for determination.”
הרמטכ״ל למאו"גים ולמח"טים: "אנחנו עוברים לשלב ב׳ בתכנית ההכרעה - זהו צורך השעה וגודל השעה, יש פה מאבק על הרוח ועל הנחישות"
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 7, 2025
הרמטכ״ל, רב-אלוף אייל זמיר, שוחח אתמול עם כלל מפקדי האוגדות ומפקדי החטיבות בצה״ל כחלק מביקורו באוגדת עזה לקראת מבצע ״מרכבות גדעון״.
הרמטכ"ל הדגיש כי יש… pic.twitter.com/v3MmGpzp51
Zamir emphasized the IDF’s mission to return the hostages and defeat Hamas, noting that the enemy bears full responsibility for the ongoing suffering and destruction in Gaza. He commented on the renewed mobilization of reservists, saying, “They will come because we are calling them—because we have no choice.”
The remarks came hours after a Golani reconnaissance soldier was seriously wounded in southern Gaza. He was evacuated to a hospital and his family has been notified.
Phase B of the campaign has been dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots” by the IDF. With Hamas refusing to compromise, Zamir said it is time to move forward with full force.
“We will continue operating tirelessly to dismantle Hamas and bring our hostages home,” he said. “The security and defense of the state is our guiding mission.”
Israeli troops are set to “act with great force” until all war goals for Gaza, including the defeat of Hamas and securing the release of every hostage, are achieved, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday.
The entire population of the Gaza Strip will be evacuated to the southern part of the enclave during the fighting, and the IDF will stay in “every area that is taken,” the defense minister said.
“The operation is intended to defeat Hamas and bring about the release of all the hostages. We will act with great force to destroy all of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities,” he told soldiers of the IDF’s 162nd Armored Division, which is expected to take part in the ground campaign.
“From the moment the maneuver begins, we will act with great force and will not stop until all objectives are achieved,” Katz continued.
