[IsraelTimes] IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says that if no hostage deal is reached in Gaza soon, the military will “intensify and expand ” its offensive against Hamas “as much as possible.”
“We will persist in targeting terrorists until Hamas is defeated and dismantled. Your achievements are significant, we already control 75% of the territory in the Strip,” Zamir says to troops during a visit to Gaza today.
“We are approaching a very critical juncture. In the coming days, we will know whether there is a deal or not. I want to tell you that if there is a deal and the hostages return, it is thanks to your fighting, first and foremost because of your fighting,” he says.
Zamir says that “if an agreement is reached, we will pause and prepare along lines defined by the political echelon.”
“If no deal is reached, my directive to the Southern Command is to intensify and expand the fighting as much as possible, beyond what we are doing now,” he says.
He says the IDF will “enter additional areas and continue operations as we have until now.”
Zamir also notes that the body of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed and captured by Hamas in the 2014 Gaza War, has now been held by the terror group for over 4,000 days.
“We are making tremendous efforts to return Hadar to his family, and we will not rest or remain silent until we bring him home, to his home and family, along with all the other hostages,” he adds. 
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