Chief of Staff Halevi: IDF Operating Within the City and Surrounding It

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi issued a statement regarding the fighting in the Gaza Strip and the next stages of the war.

His statement reads: “We are in the midst of the war. We’ve advanced another significant stage and the forces are now in the heart of ground action in the northern Gaza Strip.”

The Chief of Staff also said that “IDF soldiers have been operating in the past few days in the city of Gaza, surrounding it from a number of directions, deepening the entry and we are also deepening the achievements. Forces are fighting in a built-up, dense, complex area, requiring very professional fighting and a lot of daring.”

After praising the soldiers operating in the field, he then turned to the Air Force’s role, stating that “the Air Force is operating in the Gaza Strip with great force and with true excellence.” He then addressed other fronts: “But we must make no mistake – we are using less than half the Air Force’s power in the Gaza Strip! Most of the force is primed and ready, with bombs on the wings and people ready to launch at any moment towards the planes, to go out and strike in other arenas the moment it is needed.”

The Chief of Staff also spoke on the need to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and the delivery of fuel to the Strip. He was among the first senior defense leaders to announce that the time will come when Israel will also have to deliver fuel to the Strip, clarifying that: “so far we have not introduced fuel. We check the situation in the Strip every day. For over a week they’ve been telling us the fuel’s running out and it’s not running out. Fuel will be delivered under supervision to the hospitals and we will do everything so that it does not come for Hamas’ fighting purposes.”