Quick Take: IDF Chief Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir vowed the army will pursue and bring to justice everyone involved in the October 7 massacre, calling the effort permanent and uncompromising. He said a nationwide security strategy places the IDF at the forefront to protect border communities, credited Southern Command units for sustained operations in and around Gaza, and described recent strikes as having significantly weakened Hamas. Zamir added that Gaza actions form part of a multi-front campaign, including activity near southern Lebanon.
IDF Chief Vows Justice For Every October 7 Perpetrator, Says Gaza Campaign Has 'Fundamentally Changed' Security Reality
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Operation Entebbe at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, July 12, 2026. (photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)
IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir pledged that the army "will not relent until we bring every person who played a part in the [October 7] massacre to justice," while conducting an operational assessment in the Gaza Strip. He said the pursuit of those responsible is a permanent, ongoing mission carried out with sustained effort.
Nationwide Security Strategy
Zamir described the operations as part of a security strategy implemented across the entire State of Israel — not only in the Gaza area but along all of the country's borders. He said the plan places the IDF at the forefront to protect border communities and their residents.
Southern Command and Gaza Operations
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Eyal Zamir meets with soldiers in southern Lebanon, July 4, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
The chief of staff praised the IDF's Southern Command and units operating in the Gaza area for maintaining a "sustained offensive approach" to protect nearby communities. He said recent operations have targeted and killed members of Nukhba as well as other militants linked to October 7, calling the campaign "a permanent and ongoing mission that the command is carrying out with great success."
"We have struck Hamas, significantly weakened it, and fundamentally changed the security reality," Zamir said, adding that the IDF will continue to act proactively to remove threats and safeguard communities.
Zamir also noted a recent weekend of strikes in the Gaza Strip that the IDF said killed several militants from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), including Mahmoud Fatair, identified by the army as a commander in the PIJ's Central Gaza Brigade who infiltrated Israel on October 7 and took part in holding Rom Braslavski hostage.
Multi-Front Effort
Emphasizing that Gaza operations are only one part of a broader campaign, Zamir said the effort is multi-front. He described visits to troops in southern Lebanon and elsewhere and praised a "spirit of initiative, determination, and commitment to the mission" that, he said, allows the IDF to keep the initiative and prevent a recurrence of the breach experienced on October 7.
Speaking on August 5, 2026 — the day that would have been Ariel Bibas' seventh birthday — Zamir said the images of the victims and of the affected communities remain with the forces every day. (Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
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