Edited by: TJVNews.com

As Israel’s war against Hamas enters a pivotal stage, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared that the terror group is “under tremendous pressure,” having lost most of its assets, command infrastructure, and control over the Gaza Strip. His remarks, made during a frontline visit to IDF troops operating in Khan Yunis, signal a critical moment in what Israeli officials describe as the final phase of the military campaign to dismantle Hamas rule.

According to a report on Sunday at The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), Zamir’s tour of southern Gaza included direct engagement with soldiers leading the charge in Operation Gideon’s Chariots, the IDF’s latest large-scale offensive aimed at eradicating Hamas and Islamic Jihad strongholds. “We are intensifying our activity according to a structured plan,” Zamir told troops. “Hamas has lost most of its assets and its command-and-control structure. We will use all our tools to bring the hostages home, to defeat Hamas, and to dismantle its rule.”

JNS has tracked the progression of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which was launched on May 16. The operation is the culmination of over 18 months of warfare following the catastrophic October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel. That massacre, in which hundreds of Israeli civilians were murdered and scores kidnapped—including children and the elderly—continues to serve as a rallying cry for IDF forces. “Do not forget for a moment what happened almost 600 days ago,” Zamir urged the soldiers. “From here … those murderers left, raided [Kibbutz] Nir Oz, committed atrocities, murdered and kidnapped babies and children, women and the elderly.”

Zamir emphasized that the IDF’s campaign is not indefinite. “This is not an endless war; we will shorten it as we achieve its goals,” he stated. “We aim to win and will do so with determination, thoroughness, and while maintaining the safety of our forces.”

As JNS reported, the IDF recently crushed Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, one of the last organized fighting units in the southernmost region of the Strip. The focus now turns to the Khan Yunis Brigade, with Zamir personally challenging his troops to deliver a decisive blow.

Meanwhile, in a major counter-terrorism operation, Hamas naval commando Ahmad Osama Hassan al-Lahwani—who participated in the October 7 infiltration—was killed in a joint IDF, Shin Bet, and Israeli Navy operation. JNS reported that this marks yet another high-value Hamas operative eliminated in what security officials describe as Israel’s relentless campaign to decapitate the terrorist leadership.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking on Wednesday, reaffirmed that the military objective remains unchanged: complete and lasting Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip. As covered by JNS, Netanyahu stated unequivocally that “the war will continue until Hamas is disarmed and its leadership is either killed or exiled.”

Over the weekend, the IDF expanded its operations throughout Gaza, carrying out extensive ground raids and aerial assaults. According to the information provided in the JNS report, Israeli forces destroyed multiple booby-trapped structures, underground tunnel systems, missile-launching sites, and military compounds used by Hamas. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) alone struck more than 100 targets, a display of air superiority designed to break the remaining pockets of terrorist resistance.

The IDF’s integration of air, sea, and ground capabilities has proven crucial in systematically degrading Hamas’s warfighting ability.