Israel reaffirms commitment to disarming Gaza

The objective of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip - to demilitarize the enclave - remain unchanged and the Israeli army is prepared to proceed from a defensive posture to offensive operations, if necessary, Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said while visiting the Rafah area.

He stressed that Israel is not relinquishing the objectives of the war - the full demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas.

"We are operating in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, while maintaining military plans for their defeat and we stand ready to act defensively as required," Eyal Zamir said.

According to him, Israeli forces deployed in the Gaza Strip are safeguarding the security at border crossings and are "precisely dismantling terror infrastructure" in the enclave.

"We are prepared to transition from a defensive posture to an offensive one. For any violation, we will respond and degrade their capabilities," Eyal Zamir said.

The Chief of the General Staff added that recently they eliminated numerous terrorists, including senior operatives from the terrorist organizations.