The American Wall Street Journal quoted the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant He said that “Israel will not abandon its goals of destroying the Islamic Resistance Movement”agitation) in Gaza stripand deterring other adversaries allied with Iran, such as Hizb allah Lebanese.
Gallant added that his basic point of view is that Israel is fighting an axis, and not what he described as a single enemy, noting that Iran is working to build its military power around Israel in order to use it.
He stressed that Israeli forces will shift from what he called the “intensive maneuver phase of the war” toward “different types of special operations.”
He warned that the next chapter of the conflict would last longer, and stressed that Israel would not abandon its goals of destroying Hamas, ending its control of Gaza and freeing the remaining detainees.
Gallant had previously revealed Israel’s plans for the next phase of its war in Gaza, as he said that it “intends to follow a new, more targeted approach in the northern part of the Strip, and a continuous pursuit of Hamas leaders in the south,” adding that after the war, Hamas will not return to control Gaza. Which is to be managed by Palestinian bodies as long as there is no threat to Israel.
Israeli officials said the shift to less intense operations would be gradual, and would occur at different times in different parts of Gaza.
Israeli officers said the most sensitive phase of the fighting would likely be around Rafah, claiming that Hamas fighters were taking shelter there, being supplied through tunnels from Egypt.
Israeli reports stated that Washington asked Israel to begin implementing the third phase this week, while the occupation army announced during the past two days a reduction in the number of its forces in Gaza, but did not officially acknowledge the start of implementing this phase.
According to sources, the third stage requires the Israeli army to move from the stage of intensive bombing to targeted bombing and the withdrawal of forces from inside Gaza to the border between the two sides (areas Gaza cover).
