Netanyahu Declares New Phase in Gaza Campaign

A resolute Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent a clear and uncompromising message to Hamas: the rules in Gaza are about to change. Speaking at the Tze’elim training base in the Negev, Netanyahu addressed reservists of the IDF’s 5th “HaSharon” Infantry Brigade, signaling an imminent and more forceful phase of the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

“To Hamas, I say one thing: The rules are about to change very soon,” Netanyahu declared, highlighting the IDF’s readiness for “intense action” aimed at delivering a decisive blow to the terror group.

The prime minister reaffirmed the campaign’s dual objectives: the total defeat of Hamas and the safe return of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza since the October 7 massacre. These goals, Netanyahu emphasized, represent the unified mission of the entire Israeli defense apparatus.

Marking the anniversary of the daring 1972 rescue of Sabena Flight 571 an operation in which Netanyahu himself participated and was wounded he reminded the troops of the enduring spirit of Israeli heroism. “The spirit has not changed it is the exact same spirit I see here, pulsing among the soldiers and commanders, uniting everyone with one goal to achieve a great victory.”

That victory, which once reverberated throughout the Middle East, is echoed today in Israel’s determined efforts to confront not only Hamas, but also regional threats from Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and Iran the leading state sponsor of terrorism. Netanyahu underscored that under his leadership, Israel has reshaped the regional landscape by facing its enemies head-on.

In the lead-up to the anticipated full-scale ground campaign, dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” the IDF has intensified its operations throughout Gaza. Over the past 72 hours, Israeli forces struck more than 150 terrorist targets, eliminating senior Hamas operatives and dismantling command centers and underground infrastructure.

Among the key terrorists neutralized was Muhammad Rasmi Marzouq Barakeh, involved in the kidnapping of 85-year-old Yaffa Adar during the October 7 onslaught. Another strike took out Nasr Sobhi Ibrahim Jumaa, a high-ranking figure in Hamas’s rocket manufacturing unit. Both operations were carried out with precision, using aerial surveillance and intelligence to minimize civilian harm.

In addition, Israeli aircraft eliminated multiple terrorists attempting to plant explosives near IDF troops and struck a weapons depot and firing position in the southern Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz reinforced the government’s commitment to seeing the mission through. “We will act with great force to destroy all of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities,” he told soldiers of the 162nd “Steel Formation” Armored Division. Katz confirmed that the IDF will remain in every area captured during the campaign and that civilians will be evacuated from active combat zones.

As Israel moves toward a new stage in its war against Hamas, the message from its leadership is unwavering: victory is not optional it is essential. The fight is not only for security but for justice, for the return of innocents, and for the future of the Jewish state.

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