IDF chief says operations will continue ‘as long as necessary’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told division commanders on Wednesday that the Israeli military is at its “highest level of alert” and prepared for potential escalation across all fronts.

He said operations would continue “for as long as necessary” in theaters both near and far.

During an operational assessment with all division commanders, Zamir reviewed the challenges in multiple sectors, force readiness and the ongoing combat operations in various arenas.

He said the IDF was strengthening forward defensive positions along Israel’s borders while continuing to “remove threats” and “deepen the damage to the enemy.”

Zamir praised the commanders and soldiers for what he described as “unprecedented fighting and sacrifice.”

“You are a unique generation of division commanders in the history of the IDF and the State of Israel. The story of your actions over the past two and a half years will be told in history books. The IDF’s capabilities, the preservation of its values, and its operational achievements are in your hands,” he said.

Zamir said Israel had “systematically, powerfully and methodically struck and weakened Iran and the entire axis.”

He also stressed the need to expand participation in military service to reduce the burden on reserve forces, calling it “a substantial and critical matter” for the IDF’s operational effectiveness.