by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s top military commander vowed Sunday that the fight against Hamas and its allies will intensify, a day after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated senior Houthi officials in Yemen and Hamas’s longtime military spokesman, Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, better known as Abu Obeida.
“The IDF is operating offensively, with initiative and operational superiority, across all arenas and at all times,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a situational assessment at Northern Command. “Yesterday we struck one of Hamas’ senior leaders, Abu Obeida, after most of Hamas’ leadership had already been eliminated. Our actions are not yet complete. Most of the remaining Hamas leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well.”
The strike against Abu Obeida, a central figure in Hamas propaganda for nearly two decades, “joins a series of significant IDF strikes in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and other arenas,” Zamir said, adding pointedly: “This is not the end.” Israel previously assassinated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 2024.
Zamir also addressed the sensitive issue of Israeli hostages, confirming that the IDF had recently recovered the bodies of Idan Shtivi and Ilan Weiss. “We continue our efforts and operations to return all the hostages, both living and the fallen,” he said. Since the launch of Operation Gideon’s Chariots in March, the IDF has recovered the remains of ten captives.
Turning to the home front, Zamir noted that many children in Israel’s north will return to school on Monday for the first time since the war began. “The basic condition for opening the school year is the security of the residents,” he said, praising the troops for dismantling threats in their early stages. “We are surprising, acting with initiative, and reaching every target in order to ensure the security of Israeli civilians.”
The chief of staff also thanked reservists preparing to report for duty under a cabinet-approved plan to deepen the fighting against Hamas by pushing into Gaza City in October. “The mission is not yet complete,” Zamir emphasized, “but I trust they will carry it out in the best possible way.”
Sunday’s meeting included senior commanders, among them Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, Intelligence Directorate head Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, and Operations Directorate head Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen. The assessment reviewed both the intelligence picture and operational plans for the coming phase of Israel’s campaign.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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