"We are dismantling Hamas and targeting its infrastructure and forces so that there will never be another October 7," IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said during a situational assessment and tour in Rafah, Gaza, on Wednesday, the IDF announced.
Halevi was accompanied by the Southern Command commander, Maj.-Gen Yaron Finkelman, Gaza Division commander, Brig.-Gen. Barak Hiram, Nahal Brigade commander, Col. Yair Zuckerman, and other senior commanders.
"We are exerting pressure on Hamas daily, driving it into greater distress, to ensure the return of the 100 hostages—hopefully alive—and for those who are not, to provide them a proper burial in Israel. Our goal is also to return Israeli residents to their homes," Halevi told IDF troops.
"I tell you this: the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip are coming back to life. Residents are returning, and as they do, our responsibility grows even greater—not less. It is our duty to provide a much stronger security framework so they can feel safe and secure here." He concluded his remarks by thanking the IDF troops for their "incredible work."
"You are contributing to the fight against Hamas, the return of the hostages, and the revival of these communities. Knowing this gives me the boundless strength to keep going, and I believe this is a shared mission for every soldier in the IDF—both active and reserve," Halevi said.
IDF soldiers killed in Rafah
On Tuesday, the IDF announced the deaths of Maj. (res.) Moshiko Maxim Rozenwald, 35, and Sgt.-Maj. (res). Alexander Anosov, 26, who were both killed in Rafah when a structure collapsed on them, also wounding two other soldiers.
Rozenwald and Anosov served in the Engineering Battalion within the Nahal Brigade. The IDF said it was investigating the incident.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.