IDF: Hostage deal delays but doesn’t end war on Hamas

Despite the impending hostage deal and war pause, the fight against Hamas will continue, IDF Spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday.

“This is a long war, with many rounds,” he said. “It has set goals and it will take a long time to get to them. We will get ready for the next stages,” emphasizing that any pause would be temporary and not a real long-term ceasefire.

He said the goals set for the IDF by the government were destroying Hamas, establishing more defensible borders than before the war, and deterring all of Israel’s enemies in the region.

While no officials have gone on record, a number have talked about the ground invasion of Gaza lasting somewhere between at least a few more weeks to the end of January.

The next stage after that, combating an anticipated insurgency and trying to establish a basis for new governance in Gaza, could take much longer, with estimates running to at least another six months or much longer past the formal end of large-scale military operations.

All of this could be adjusted based on how long the impending pause runs.

Hagari also said the IDF will ensure that its soldiers remain safe, that any invasion achievements are maintained, and that violations of the pause are deterred, should the pause go through.

The spokesperson also showed off new photos of IDF soldiers having broken through doors blocking their progress in inspecting a large tunnel in the Shifa Hospital area.

IDF sources said more findings of Hamas’s operation in the Shifa area may still come to light as inspections continue.

Gallant's assessment at the Gaza Division

Earlier Tuesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived at the Gaza Division and held a situational assessment with Southern Commander Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman and Brig.-Gen. Avi Rosenfeld.

“We will have to make difficult decisions in the coming days – to defeat Hamas step by step and to bring back the hostages,” Gallant said.

Likewise, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi spoke about the hostages in a conversation with reserve soldiers inside the Gaza Strip.

“Our maneuver creates better conditions for the return of the hostages, and we will continue with this pressure,” he said.

“You’re doing an excellent job, you came in here strong and there’s very serious damage done to Hamas. There’s still a long road ahead, but we are determined to follow this road and bring our achievements to the maximum. That means also to dismantle Hamas – both military and governmental, to create security around the region, and also to return the hostages. All of these things fall in together.”

As of Tuesday morning, soldiers in the Maglan unit had executed precision missile strikes and successfully confronted a number of terrorist threats in Gaza.

Soldiers employed cutting-edge weaponry, including the Gil missile and the “Steel Trap” guided missile, marking its inaugural use in combat.

The Maglan unit’s primary mission involves the identification and elimination of enemy targets, coupled with seamless coordination between air, sea, and ground forces.

The fighters have located and destroyed over 70 targets, encompassing enemy observation posts, terrorist hideouts often embedded within civilian areas, rocket launchers, and terrorist cells. They have also successfully neutralized a number of terrorists.

In a recent ground operation within the Shati region of the northern Gaza Strip, Maglan fighters conducted a raid on a terrorist’s residence, revealing an extensive cache of weapons. The unit also searched a nearby school, uncovering two tunnel shafts.

Late Tuesday night, a rocket fired by Hamas from Gaza as part of a salvo of rocket attacks, impacted Highway 431 near Rishon Lezion, KAN reported.

There were no reported casualties at press time.