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Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said on Sunday that the Israeli army must be prepared to shift swiftly from defensive operations to a large-scale offensive aimed at occupying territory beyond the so-called “Yellow Line” in the Gaza Strip.

Zamir’s remarks came during a visit to Rafah in southern Gaza, according to a statement issued by the Israeli army. Zamir conducted a situational assessment with senior commanders, including Southern Command chief Yaniv Asor, Gaza Division commander Barak Hiram and the heads of all brigades operating in the Strip.

The army said Zamir toured the Rafah area, where he reviewed operational developments across all fronts and stressed the need to maintain defensive readiness, eliminate threats and remain prepared for “a rapid transition to offensive operations”.

Zamir stated that the Israeli army currently “controls more than 50% of the Gaza Strip, without controlling its population”, adding that the Yellow Line functions as a “line of encirclement and control”. He said military efforts continue to prevent Hamas from regrouping, including maintaining control over border crossings and areas under Israeli oversight.

“In parallel with the current operational course, and if necessary, we must be prepared to move quickly to a large-scale offensive to occupy areas in the Gaza Strip on the other side of the Yellow Line,” Zamir said.

The chief of staff added that Israeli forces are continuing efforts to clear areas along the Yellow Line and eliminate remaining resistance pockets, while the Southern Command works to destroy “terrorist infrastructure”, including underground tunnels.

Zamir reiterated that Israel is committed to ensuring that “Hamas rule will not remain on the other side of the border”, saying the army’s objective is to dismantle Hamas and disarm the Gaza Strip “whether through agreements or military action”.

He also noted that the military has continued its investigation into the failures of the 7 October attack, saying he established an expert committee upon taking office to ensure “a profound process of learning and understanding”.

“We are not afraid of the consequences,” Zamir said. “All of this is for the sake of advancing the army and improving its future performance.”

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.