Senior IDF officials are pushing to resume military operations in the Gaza Strip, warning that the terror group is rebuilding its weapons production capabilities while continuing to refuse disarmament in Cairo negotiations, Army Radio reported on Sunday morning.
“The best time to defeat Hamas is now,” senior IDF officials are saying in closed-door discussions, emphasizing that the previous war’s mission—preventing Hamas from ruling Gaza—has not yet been accomplished.
Since the war in Gaza ended in October, Hamas has tightened its control over the Strip and continued producing weapons—rockets, explosive devices, and anti-tank missiles—intended for attacks on Israel and IDF forces.
At the same time, multiple rounds of talks have taken place in Cairo between Hamas leaders and international mediators. However, Hamas has repeatedly rejected the second phase of the ceasefire, which would include steps toward disarmament.
In recent days, the IDF has decreased its forces in southern Lebanon and shifted regular brigades to the Gaza front and to Yehuda and Shomron. The Southern Command has finalized its operational plans and is ready to resume battle, pending a decision by the political leadership.
Over the past several weeks, the IDF has taken two steps in Gaza: increasing the intensity of strikes and targeted eliminations on a larger scale than during the ceasefire, and pushing the Yellow Line westward. At the start of the ceasefire, Israel controlled 53% of the Strip; now, after gradually shifting the line westward, it controls approximately 59%.
The central question surrounding such a move is the extent to which the IDF could carry out a large ground operation without an additional reserve call-up—and the resulting heavier burden on reservists, who are already serving an average of about 80 days per year.
Some senior IDF officials believe a large-scale ground operation in Gaza should be postponed for several months to avoid significantly increasing the already heavy strain on reserve forces.
Kan News reported that the security cabinet will convene on Sunday to discuss resuming the war in Gaza.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
