Incoming Chief of Staff Major General Eyal Zamir has conducted a series of visits over the past two weeks, including in Jenin, Gaza, and Lebanon, and spoke with commanders in preparation for further combat planning, emphasizing attack plans. These visits were part of his transition into the role and aimed at assessing the IDF’s readiness in various arenas.
Shaking up the Old Order
Yesterday (Monday), the Chief of Operations, Major General Oded Basiuk, met with Zamir and requested to end his role following approximately four years in the position. Zamir accepted his request but asked him to remain in the role for the upcoming months given the challenges facing the IDF.
Zamir, who believes that publishing the investigations into the October 7 attack is not sufficient to restore trust in the IDF, is expected to implement significant personnel changes in the army and dismiss other generals and senior officials who served during the massacre. According to reports, Zamir intends to dismiss Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar, Home Front Command Commander Major General Rafi Miloh, and Military Intelligence Head Major General Shlomi Binder. However, the IDF Spokesperson emphasized that Zamir has not made decisions regarding the appointments of generals.
Upon taking office tomorrow, Zamir will hold appointment discussions and submit the appointment of a new Southern Command Chief. Yesterday, journalist Itai Blumenthal reported that Eyal Zamir decided to promote the commander of Division 162, Brigadier General Itzik Cohen to the rank of Major General and to include him in the General Staff. Senior officials in the security apparatus claimed that Brigadier General Cohen would receive any position he chooses after proving himself on the battlefield, achieving significant accomplishments during the fighting in Gaza.
Military Preparations for a Return to Combat
Zamir will officially take office tomorrow (Wednesday), and will have to confront the complex strategic questions brought up by the war. Among his key challenges is the need to address the threat posed by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza, which has been holding 59 hostages in the Strip for 515 days now.
This morning, Dr. Omer Dostri, spokesperson for the Prime Minister, stated on Galei Yisrael that Israel is not ruling out the possibility of cutting water and electricity to Gaza if Hamas continues to reject the proposal from U.S. mediator Steve Witkoff. “As long as Hamas continues its refusal, Israel has additional pressure levers. Our goal is to bring the hostages home alive,” Dostri said. “We are fully coordinated with the U.S. and want to give every opportunity to bring as many hostages back alive. We have a range of actions to pressure Hamas, and at the same time, we are preparing militarily for a return to combat.”
Cutting Water and Electricity is on the Table
Dostri emphasized that among the measures under consideration is the possibility of cutting off Gaza’s water and electricity supply. “We do not rule out this option,” he stated, clarifying that Israel is following a clear, strategic escalation of pressure to maximize the chances of securing the hostages’ safe return.
Yesterday, (Monday) Prime Minister Netanyahu declared: “We will not stop until we achieve all our victory objectives—bringing all our hostages home, destroying Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza will never again be a threat to Israel.”
“I say to Hamas—if you do not release our hostages, there will be consequences beyond what you can imagine,” Netanyahu warned. “Now, with Trump’s support, we are preparing for the next phases of the campaign. Not everything is visible to the public, but by now you have learned that critical processes develop in secrecy, and at the right moment, what needs to happen will come to light.”
