At the moment, our infantry, armored and engineering units remain inside the Gaza Strip. The IDF is deliberately not saying what its future actions will be, nor is it specifying exactly where and how far our units have advanced.
Are we really talking about a large-scale advance?
Our army command deliberately does not specify whether such an offensive has already begun, and this is certainly right. This means that Hamas remains in the dark — in the so-called “fog of battle”. In any case, significant forces of our army entered the Gaza Strip last night, conducted a major operation there, and remained inside the Strip. At the same time, as I understand it, the main IDF forces have not yet entered the Strip.
Below I will be quoting from a statement by Herzi Halevi, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces:
"Three weeks have passed since the war began. This war has its stages. Today we have begun a new stage. At the moment, our forces are conducting ground operational actions in the Gaza Strip. These actions are supported by massive and precise fire. This meets all of our objectives: the elimination of Hamas, safeguarding our security and efforts to return all hostages. To date, we have stabilized the defensive line and have moved into the attack. The enemy has suffered many hundreds of casualties and its infrastructure has been destroyed.
The current situation in the Gaza Strip is the result of the criminal actions of Hamas, which bears responsibility. Our best fighters and commanders, well trained and prepared, are now operating in the Gaza Strip. I have personally spoken with them over the past few days, and they all are driven by a sense of mission and confidence in the righteousness of our path.
Throughout the past few days, we have continued to attack and eliminate the bosses of the Hamas terrorist organization, destroy its terrorist fighters and devastate its infrastructure. We are accomplishing this task with ground units engaged in direct combat with the enemy, as well as with fire support from the air, sea and land, using intelligence to improve our effectiveness. We are also monitoring evolving events in the region and are prepared for any scenario.
IDF commanders at all levels and in all branches of the IDF are prepared for possible scenarios and are supporting the overall combat effort. On the northern border, we are fully prepared to deter and disrupt Hizbullah’s attempts to harm Israeli civilians and IDF fighters, as the Northern Command has successfully demonstrated in recent days.
Ground forces are now carrying out an important and complex operation. The objectives that have been set require a ground invasion. There is no progress without risk, and as we know, there is no victory without the price that is paid for it. To defeat and destroy the enemy, we have no other way but to enter his territory by force. This effort serves all the purposes of war.
Three weeks ago, on October 7, Hamas committed crimes against all humanity. Now Hamas is holding hostages — innocent people, babies, children, women, men and senior citizens. The return of the kidnapped hostages is the greatest national effort for all of us. And I and every soldier in the Gaza Strip, we will do everything we can to succeed in this task.
Our hearts and strength are with our families and with our kidnapped hostages. We have set clear goals for ourselves. The road will be long. We will combine strength and intelligence. We will remember to fight with determination and win.“
Tonight, cellular networks and the Internet were cut off in the Gaza Strip. More than 150 underground facilities were attacked — i. e. tunnels, bunkers, etc. — all as part of preparations for a deeper ground offensive inside the Gaza Strip.
Let me remind you that up until now, IDF forces entered at night and exited closer to morning. Now our army forces, as they entered last night, remain inside the Gaza Strip.
It is very important that the deliberate refusal of the army command to announce the details of the captured positions and further actions leaves not only Hamas, but also its senior partners, the Iranian regime and Hizbullah, in a “fog of battle”, who find it difficult to understand what exactly is going on and what the IDF’s intentions are. Such a gradual advance of IDF forces is also important to reduce the risk to our fighters.
From Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech Saturday night:
“We have entered the second phase of the war, the goal of which is to destroy Hamas’s political and military capabilities and return the hostages it has taken. The decision to expand the ground operation was taken unanimously. It is said: ‘Remember what Amalek did to you,’ our fighters continue the tradition of Israel’s heroes — Yehoshua Ben Nun, Judah Maccabee...
We kept saying: ‘Never again’, but here it is again.
At every stage, we are taking every opportunity to return the kidnapped hostages. I call on the civilian population of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south of the Strip. Hamas is using the (Shifa) hospital as a terrorist headquarters. We have broad international support. And many leaders have visited us and said, ‘We wish you victory.’
We will win. We are launching a massive air strike to weaken enemy forces before launching a ground invasion. The battles inside the sector will be difficult and long — we are prepared for that. We will destroy the enemy on the ground and underground. It will be a victory of light over darkness. We are united and together we will prevail.
Together with you, I pray for our warriors: ’May the Almighty help them (our fighters) to sweep away the enemies and crown them with the crown of redemption and the crown of victory’.”