Israeli army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi listens to an officer as he visits soldiers during the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Hamas, in a location given as Gaza, in this handout image released on Nov. 16, 2023. Photo: Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS

i24 News – The Israel Defense Forces’ Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi spoke to Nahal Infantry Brigade soldiers in the Gaza Strip, asserting that Hamas would not have agreed to the hostage release and ceasefire deal if military pressure had not been placed on the group, according to a press release on Sunday.

Halevi visited the troops operating in the Beit Hanoun area, holding a situational assessment with Major General Yaron Finkelman, the commander of the Southern Command; Brigadier General Itzih Cohen, the 162nd Division Commander; and other top-ranking commanders.

“We are very resolute with Hamas in order to achieve the terms we want, and we will remain very resolute moving forward, as I will explain this to you shortly,” Halevi said. “Look, we would not have reached an agreement under these terms if Hamas had not been in such a difficult situation, and we see this. It’s you that brought Hamas to such a difficult situation, along with other troops, strikes, intelligence, and continuous action, I don’t need to tell you.”

He hailed the IDF operations in northern Gaza since October 6, 2024, which killed about 3,000 terrorists and apprehended hundreds more.

“Right now, this is our position of strength, and look, when our people—civilians, soldiers—are held by the enemy in very harsh conditions, we also bear responsibility for the fact that they are there,” he said. “We are proud to make the effort to bring them home.”