IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir toured the Gaza Strip Tuesday and declared that the military has fundamentally changed its operational doctrine following the October 7 massacre. Zamir said the IDF will continue acting offensively and systematically against attempts by Israel’s enemies to rebuild their capabilities, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon.
“The IDF is prepared and vigilant on all fronts. We will not allow our enemies on our borders, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, to rebuild their strength,” Zamir said. “We will not allow terrorist infrastructure to become established. We will seize every opportunity to eliminate threats as they emerge. We are implementing lessons learned, we have changed our approach—the IDF will not return to October 6.”
During the tour, Zamir met with Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Gaza Division commander Brig. Gen. Liron Batito, as well as brigade and battalion commanders operating in the Strip. The commanders presented him with an assessment of the operational situation and the activities of forces in the area.
Zamir stressed that in Gaza, the IDF is not giving up on the central objectives of demilitarizing the Strip and dismantling Hamas’s arsenal. The campaign against the organization and its leaders will continue, alongside ongoing efforts to prevent it from regaining strength, he said. The chief of staff also addressed the hunt for October 7 terrorists, calling it a long-term mission and a top priority. “Everyone who took part in the massacre will live as a fugitive until they’re eliminated,” he declared, adding that “this is a mission to which the command and the entire IDF are committed.”
He also said the IDF has drawn lessons from the failure that preceded the attack and that there will be no more policy of containing threats: “We investigated and we’re implementing lessons learned. There’s no containment of threats. We won’t allow the enemy to rebuild itself.” Zamir also addressed the burden on reservists, noting that some forces are being mobilized for extended rotations. The IDF is aware of the exceptional difficulty for those serving and their families and remains committed to continuing to act on their behalf, he said.