IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that the war in Gaza "is not an endless war - we will work to shorten it," during a situational assessment in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
"We are attacking with force in order to defend ourselves. From nearby Khirbat Ikhza'a, they raided Nir Oz, murdered and kidnapped babies, children, women, and the elderly."
"We must not forget for a moment what happened here. We will do everything to return our hostages, and we will subdue the Khan Yunis Brigade as we subdued the Rafah Brigade," Zamir stated.
Zamir's comment came following an N12 report published Friday alleging that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pick for Shin Bet head, Maj.-Gen. David Zini expressed strong opposition to hostage exchanges in internal military discussions.
Zini reportedly voiced his stance multiple times over the past year during deliberations about potential hostage deals: “I am against hostage deals; this is an eternal war.”
Netanyahu justifies Shin Bet head appt, says Zini will not be involved in 'Qatargate' probe
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Friday responded to criticism of the decision to appoint Maj.-Gen. David Zini as the new Shin Bet head to replace Ronen Bar, who was fired despite a High Court of Justice ruling that the decision was illegal.
The PMO stated that the designated head of the Shin Bet would not be involved in "Qatargate" investigations. This followed the High Court ruling that said there was a conflict of interest due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his aides' connection to the “Qatargate” scandal, which the Shin Bet is probing along with the police.
The statement said that during the war, it is inappropriate to settle for appointing an acting head of the Shin Bet, and that a permanent head of the Shin Bet must be appointed "as soon as possible."