Two days into the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi today (Sunday) addressed the IDF soldiers and their commanders and clarified that they will return to fight after the completion of the deal to release the abductees.
"Our just war for the house continues. In weeks of stubborn fighting and maneuvering in wooded areas, we achieved many operational achievements," Halevi said in a letter to the soldiers. "We hit senior Hamas officials and its operatives, exposed enemy headquarters, located tunnels and terrorist infrastructure, and destroyed them. This is the result of a high-quality and precise operational action by the land, air, and sea forces, combined with fire and intelligence and with logistics and ICT support. I am proud of you for these achievements!"
He also stated "I met many of you at the end of long hours of fighting on the ground and in the underground, facing complex challenges. In every meeting, I saw in your eyes the magnitude of the hour, the fighting spirit, and the determination to achieve all the goals of the war. I heard you say to me: 'We want Fight until we return the kidnapped. That's what we do!"
According to him, "The IDF and its fighters are fighting fiercely, taking risks and protecting the lives of our people and the values of the IDF, in the face of a cruel enemy who uses civilians as human shields. We were able to create conditions for the political outline for the first release of children and mothers during the ceasefire. With the completion of the move, we will return to fight with full determination, for the continued release of the abductees until the dissolution of Hamas."
