Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke on Tuesday to reservists reporting for duty as part of a massive mobilization in the next phase of the war against Hamas centered on an invasion of Gaza City.
“We are preparing for the continuation of the war,” Zamir said during a visit to the Nachshonim base south of Rosh HaAyin in central Israel. “We are going to increase and enhance the strikes of our operation, and that is why we called you.”
“We have already begun the ground operation in Gaza,” he told the reservists. “Make no mistake, we are already entering places we have never entered before and operating there with courage, strength, valor and an extraordinary spirit.”
Brig. Gen. Yoav Brunner, commander of the 99th Division, and the commander of the 11th Brigade joined Zamir on the day of the reservist call-up for the 11th Brigade.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz authorized the call-up of 60,000 reservists as well as extended service orders for an additional 20,000 on Aug. 20. With 70,000 reservists currently serving, the influx of 60,000 additional soldiers raises the total to 130,00 active reservists on duty as the IDF prepares to conquer one of the last Hamas strongholds in Gaza City.
Zamir also had a strong message for Hamas and the other enemies of Israel.
“Our enemies, on Oct. 7 and since then, across the Middle East, united in their attempt to harm us and to destroy us,” he said. “We are operating against all of them, constantly, with determination, without pause.”
“We are striking them, dismantling them, defeating them, and we are prevailing over them. We are operating across the entire Middle East,” he said. “Hamas will have no place to hide from us. Wherever we locate them, whether they are senior or junior figures; we strike them all, all the time.”
