IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited troops securing the Gaza-Egypt border area and said that the military can continue to operate against Hamas even if required to leave the Philadelphi Route under a hostage deal.

Halevi emphasized that soldiers will maintain surveillance on the border area, a key smuggling route, and conduct pinpoint incursions when necessary. He noted that the decision on troop movement rests with the political leadership.

“If we stay in Philadelphi, we’ll know how to stay strong. If we need to monitor and carry out raids, we’ll do it,” Halevi said. He highlighted the importance of holding the Philadelphi Route, which Israel claims Hamas uses to smuggle arms from Egypt into Gaza, saying it hinders Hamas’s force build-up.

Halevi warned Hamas that “every day it holds our hostages, it will be more bitter for it than the previous day. We will act harder until we return the hostages, and after that, we won’t allow Hamas to raise its head.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)