Israeli army chief: IDF to keep operating proactively in Gaza

Israel's military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said after an operational visit to Gaza on Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces will continue to operate proactively. Zamir met senior commanders, who briefed him on the situation on the ground. He said Israel had dealt a significant blow to Hamas, weakened the group and changed the security situation. According to him, the military will keep eliminating threats and defending Israeli communities and residents under all circumstances.

His remarks came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had not agreed to a US-backed plan for Gaza, which would involve an Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hamas. In a video message on Tuesday, Netanyahu said President Donald Trump's team believes Hamas can be disarmed, but the draft presented by Washington was not accepted. Israel sent its own comments, he added.

Trump announced last week that his Board of Peace had reached what he described as a 'historic' agreement on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, paving the way for a new Palestinian government. The plan would see Israeli forces leave Gaza, while an international stabilization force and a new Palestinian police unit would manage the territory.

Jennifer Gavito, a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, said external actors would be indispensable. Egypt and Qatar must continue to pressure Hamas to meet its commitments, she said, while Trump would also need to put tremendous pressure on Netanyahu for the plan to succeed.

The Gaza war began after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed more than 73,000 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.