By: Fern Sidman

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared this week that Israel is entering “the decisive stage” of its war against Hamas, signaling an intensification of military operations as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prepare for a decisive ground assault on Gaza City. His remarks, delivered in a video message to IDF soldiers and reported by World Israel News (WIN) on Tuesday, highlight both the gravity of the moment and the Israeli government’s determination to press forward until Hamas is fully dismantled.

“We are working to defeat Hamas,” Netanyahu stated firmly, praising soldiers for their resilience and sacrifice during nearly two years of conflict. “Along the way, we also achieved wonders together because we broke the Iranian axis — in Gaza, in Lebanon with Hezbollah, with the Assad regime that collapsed, and with Iran itself, which threatened us with existential threats which we removed together, and now also with the Houthis.”

In remarks described as both a rallying cry and a roadmap, Netanyahu sought to remind the nation of Israel’s broader strategic gains, according to the World Israel News report. Yet he stressed that the fight remains unfinished: “But what began in Gaza must end in Gaza.”

The prime minister emphasized that Israel’s campaign has required “very difficult decisions — decisions no one believed we could actually carry out. But we carried them out because you gave us — and me — the strength to move Israel toward total victory.”

“Now we stand before the stage of decision,” he concluded. “I believe in you, I trust you, and the entire nation embraces you.”

Netanyahu’s message coincided with the largest single mobilization of reservists since the early days of the war. According to the report at World Israel News, approximately 60,000 reservists are being drafted in multiple waves, with 40,000–50,000 ordered to report immediately following the start of the school year.

The call-up places enormous demands on Israeli families, as tens of thousands of reservists will be away from home during the Jewish High Holidays, a time typically reserved for family gatherings and reflection. Many will undergo advanced training and preparation in the coming days, while others will relieve regular forces currently deployed in northern Israel and in Judea and Samaria.

Military officials told WIN that the mobilization reflects both the scale of the coming offensive and the IDF’s intent to sustain pressure on Hamas across multiple fronts simultaneously.

While Israel has conducted targeted raids in Gaza throughout the conflict, including in the Zeitoun neighborhood and the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, these incursions often saw Hamas regrouping once IDF units withdrew. The coming phase, World Israel News reported, will be different: a sustained, large-scale push into areas where ground troops have not yet operated and where Hamas retains both military presence and governance.

The IDF said the forthcoming campaign would expand into “new sectors of Gaza City” and employ integrated operations combining infantry, armored brigades, engineering units, and intelligence-driven precision strikes. The objective, according to defense officials quoted in the WIN report, is nothing less than the complete dismantling of Hamas’s ability to operate as a military or political entity.

Netanyahu framed the campaign not solely as a local confrontation but as part of Israel’s larger regional struggle against Iran and its network of proxies. “We broke the Iranian axis,” he declared, citing the weakening of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Assad’s embattled regime in Syria, and strikes against Iranian assets.

World Israel News noted that Netanyahu’s inclusion of the Houthis — the Yemen-based militia aligned with Tehran — underscores the widening scope of Israel’s counterterrorism operations across the Middle East. Israeli forces have struck Houthi positions and intercepted missiles fired toward its territory, highlighting the interconnected nature of the threats Israel faces.

For Israeli society, the mobilization of 60,000 reservists represents a collective sacrifice that extends far beyond the battlefield. Families are adjusting to the absence of fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters during the High Holidays. Employers face workforce disruptions. Communities brace for news updates, knowing that loved ones are entering areas fraught with risk.

As World Israel News reported, the burden of war has weighed heavily on families of reservists since October 2023, when Hamas’s massacre shattered a fragile equilibrium. The resilience of Israeli society has been marked by both determination and grief — with bereaved families pressing the government to return hostages, while others stand in solidarity with soldiers heading back into Gaza.

Observers note that Netanyahu’s remarks were carefully calibrated. On one hand, they project confidence and inevitability — “decisive victory” is the stated goal, and nothing less will suffice. On the other hand, by recalling the “very difficult decisions” already taken, Netanyahu acknowledged the cost in blood and the strains of a protracted conflict.

The report at World Israel News described his address as part morale boost, part reassurance: a way to galvanize soldiers preparing for urban combat in Gaza’s most fortified strongholds, while simultaneously reminding Israelis at home that their sacrifices are serving a larger strategic purpose.

Last month, Netanyahu announced unequivocally that Israel would take control of Gaza as part of its broader mission to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of all hostages. While international actors, including the United States and European Union, have floated ideas for interim governance structures, Netanyahu has made clear that Hamas will not be allowed to retain any governing role.

Military officials told World Israel News that the decisive stage in Gaza City is intended to prepare the ground for precisely that objective: to uproot Hamas from its urban strongholds, dismantle its command structure, and destroy its capacity to reassert authority over the enclave.

As Israel braces for the decisive stage, the prime minister’s words — “I believe in you, I trust you, and the entire nation embraces you” — encapsulate the ethos binding soldiers and civilians. Across Israel, communities continue to rally behind reservists, raising funds for equipment, organizing care packages, and supporting families left behind.

The World Israel News report highlighted grassroots efforts in towns and cities where volunteers coordinate everything from childcare for soldiers’ families to morale-boosting messages sent to units in the field. These efforts illustrate the sense of unity and collective purpose that Netanyahu referenced in his address.

With tens of thousands of reservists mobilized, the IDF poised for expanded operations, and Netanyahu declaring Israel to be at “the decisive stage,” the war against Hamas is entering a new and dangerous chapter. The stakes are enormous: the defeat of Hamas, the restoration of Israeli security, and the possibility of reshaping Gaza’s future governance.

As the World Israel News report observed, the weight of history hangs over this moment. Nearly two years after Hamas’s atrocities, Israel stands on the brink of what could be the defining phase of the war. The prime minister has framed it as a test of endurance, courage, and faith — not only for soldiers on the front lines but for the entire Israeli nation.

The outcome will determine not just the fate of Hamas in Gaza but also the trajectory of Israel’s broader struggle against the Iranian axis and its vision for peace and security in the Middle East.