By: Fern Sidman

In a stark address delivered Tuesday evening, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin announced the official expansion of Israel’s ground campaign in Gaza City, characterizing the move as the decisive beginning of a new phase in the ongoing war against Hamas. The remarks, reported on Tuesday at Israel National News (INN), called attention to both the strategic and moral imperatives driving the IDF’s most intense urban campaign in decades.

“Last night, the IDF expanded ground activity in Gaza City, marking the start of the new phase of the operation,” Gen. Defrin declared, emphasizing the combined precision of Israel’s land, air, and intelligence forces. “Working together in coordinated and precise strikes, air, ground, and intelligence forces are targeting Hamas military targets that threaten Israel’s security.”

According to the information provided in the INN report, Gen. Defrin left no ambiguity about Gaza City’s pivotal role in Hamas’ infrastructure, describing it as the terror group’s “central hub of military and governing power.” For years, Israeli intelligence has pointed to the city as the nerve center of Hamas’ operations — from decision-making command posts to the clandestine storage of rockets and munitions.

“Hamas has turned Gaza City into the largest human shield in history,” Defrin said, his words underscoring the IDF’s long-standing accusation that Hamas embeds its fighters and arsenals amid dense civilian populations. He explained that “beneath the streets runs a vast network of tunnels, connecting command centers, rocket launchers, and weapons storage facilities—all deliberately hidden under civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

As Israel National News has repeatedly documented, this subterranean labyrinth—sometimes referred to as the “metro”—has allowed Hamas to maneuver undetected, shield its operatives, and perpetuate rocket fire into Israel even amid relentless IDF air campaigns.

Gen. Defrin also used the briefing to reiterate Israel’s appeals to Gaza’s civilian population to leave combat areas. The IDF, he said, has intensified efforts to open safe corridors southward, while simultaneously expanding humanitarian initiatives in designated zones.

“In recent weeks, the IDF expanded humanitarian efforts in Gaza, setting up a humanitarian area in the south,” Defrin stated. “This area provides greater access to food, water, medical care, and shelter.” He pointed in particular to the “Rashid corridor,” a passage designed to facilitate civilian evacuation, noting that Israel has sought to balance military necessity with the moral obligation to protect noncombatants.

Yet, as INN reported, Defrin accused Hamas of actively sabotaging these humanitarian efforts. “While Israel works to open corridors for civilians to move south, Hamas is actively trying to block them—forcing families to turn back and remain in harm’s way—in order to shield Hamas fighters and preserve its power.”

This tactic, he argued, reflects Hamas’ strategic dependence on civilian casualties to fuel its propaganda war. By preventing evacuations, Hamas not only endangers lives but also seeks to weaponize them against Israel.

No less prominent in Defrin’s remarks was the plight of the hostages still held by Hamas since the terror group’s October 7 massacre. “Hamas continues to hold dozens of our hostages in inhumane conditions. Their safe return is at the forefront of our mission. They are the reason we continue our fight,” he stated firmly.

According to the information contained in the INN report, families of hostages have repeatedly pressed the government to place the release of their loved ones at the center of its wartime strategy. Defrin’s comments appeared to echo those appeals, framing the IDF’s combat operations not merely as a campaign against terrorism, but as a moral duty.

“Our forces are acting with determination, guided by the clear moral duty to free our hostages and end Hamas’ rule of terror,” Defrin concluded, striking a balance between operational confidence and solemn responsibility.

The decision to escalate operations in Gaza City marks one of the most consequential military moves of the war. For weeks, Israeli jets and artillery have pummeled the city, softening targets and degrading Hamas’ defenses. More than 850 terror-related sites—including command centers and high-rise buildings—have been destroyed in the lead-up to this ground maneuver, according to IDF figures cited in the INN report.

The ground assault is expected to involve multiple divisions encircling and pressing into the city. Military analysts cited by INN suggest that this stage may represent Israel’s most difficult urban combat since Operation Defensive Shield in Jenin two decades ago. The scale, however, is exponentially larger: Gaza City is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians, as well as deeply entrenched Hamas battalions prepared for protracted resistance.

Defrin’s statement also comes amid growing international scrutiny of Israel’s conduct in Gaza. While Israel maintains it goes to unprecedented lengths to avoid civilian casualties, critics abroad argue that the scale of destruction raises humanitarian concerns. The IDF’s emphasis on humanitarian corridors and safe zones is aimed at countering these critiques.

Yet, as INN reported, Israeli officials consistently point to Hamas’ role in endangering its own people. By embedding fighters within hospitals, schools, and residential buildings, Hamas has deliberately blurred the line between civilian and military infrastructure. This strategy, the IDF insists, leaves Israel with few alternatives but to strike where Hamas operates.

The core of Defrin’s message is that Israel’s campaign in Gaza City is guided by a dual mandate: dismantling Hamas’ capacity to wage war while safeguarding Israeli and Palestinian lives wherever possible. This balancing act is fraught with complexity.

On one hand, the IDF insists on the absolute necessity of destroying Hamas’ command network, tunnels, and rocket infrastructure—objectives that require intense and sustained operations in Gaza City. On the other, the humanitarian dimension cannot be ignored: tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped, either by circumstance or by Hamas’ coercion.

Defrin’s remarks made clear that Israel views its actions through a lens of both strategic security and ethical obligation. By linking the hostages’ plight with broader military objectives, the IDF seeks to affirm that its campaign is not merely punitive, but protective—aimed at freeing captives and dismantling the terror machine that endangers both Israelis and Palestinians alike.

As the ground operation in Gaza City intensifies, Israel faces one of the most defining battles of this war. Brig. Gen. Defrin’s address was both a warning to Hamas and a reassurance to Israelis: that the fight will continue until the terror group’s grip is broken, the hostages are freed, and the threat against Israel’s cities is eliminated.

“Gaza City is the central hub of Hamas’ military and governing power,” Defrin reiterated. His words reflect not just a tactical assessment but a strategic vision: that the collapse of Hamas in Gaza City will represent the beginning of its end.

For now, the world watches as Israel presses forward into the most dangerous terrain of the conflict. The IDF’s ability to achieve its military objectives while safeguarding hostages and minimizing civilian harm will likely define not only the outcome of this war, but also Israel’s international standing in the months and years to come.