The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing to conduct more raids to both rescue hostages and take out high-value targets as it looks to enter a new, more surgical phase of the war in Gaza.
Speaking to Newsweek during a press briefing hosted Monday on X, formerly Twitter, IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said that anyone who “threatens Israel, is about to maybe strike or attack—we will go after him wherever is needed, if it’s on the Lebanese border or anywhere in Gaza.”
The remarks came shortly after the IDF announced a joint operation conducted alongside intelligence and police forces on Monday to successfully rescue two Israeli hostages being held in Rafah in southern Gaza. The two men were among more than 200 people seized by Hamas and other Palestinian factions during their October 7 surprise attack that sparked the war.
Hecht said that the rescue operation, which involved air, ground, and naval forces, was a “complex and daring” mission that demonstrated the IDF’s “operational and intelligence superiority” over Hamas. He said that the two hostages, who were not identified, were in good condition and were reunited with their families.
Hecht also said that the IDF had killed several senior Hamas commanders and operatives during the operation, including the head of Hamas’ military wing in Rafah, Abu Hamza al-Kurd, and the head of Hamas’ drone unit, Mohammed al-Zahar. He said that the IDF had also destroyed several Hamas facilities and weapons, including tunnels, rocket launchers, and drones.
Hecht said that the IDF was ready to launch more raids in Gaza, as it shifts from a “wide-scale and intensive” campaign to a “focused and precise” one. He said that the IDF’s goal was to “neutralize” Hamas’ military capabilities and “restore” Israel’s security and deterrence.
Israel’s Ready
He said that the IDF was also prepared to defend Israel from any threats from other fronts, such as Lebanon, Syria, or Iran, and that it was closely monitoring the situation in the region. He said that the IDF had the “full support” of the Israeli government and the Israeli public, and that it was acting in “self-defense” and in accordance with international law.
He said that the IDF was also committed to minimizing civilian casualties and collateral damage in Gaza, and that it was taking “extraordinary measures” to warn and protect the civilians from harm. He said that the IDF was also cooperating with humanitarian organizations and agencies to facilitate the delivery of aid and assistance to the people of Gaza, who are facing a severe crisis due to the war and the blockade.
He said that the IDF held Hamas responsible for the escalation and the suffering in Gaza, and that it urged Hamas to stop its rocket attacks and to agree to a ceasefire. He said that the IDF also called on the international community to condemn Hamas for its aggression and to support Israel’s right to defend itself.
The war in Gaza, which has entered its fourth month, has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, and displaced more than 1.9 million, according to the United Nations (UN). The war has also caused widespread destruction and suffering in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire have targeted Hamas’ military and civilian infrastructure, including its tunnel network, rocket launchers, command centers, media offices, hospitals, schools, and homes.
The war in Gaza has shown the complexity and difficulty of resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives and caused endless suffering and misery for both sides. The war has also shown the need and urgency for a just and lasting peace, based on mutual recognition, respect, and coexistence, between Israel and the Palestinians, and between Jews and Arabs, in the land they both call home.
