by JNS Staff
The operation to receive the hostages will be conducted "with sensitivity and professionalism," according to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday morning welcomed the ceasefire deal between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.
During an overnight situational assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir “instructed all forces, both on the front lines and in the rear areas, to prepare strong defenses and be ready for any scenario,” the military said after Hamas agreed to the first phase of the agreement.
IDF soldiers will be deployed “in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and the stages of the agreement, with responsibility and a focus on the safety of our soldiers,” it added.
Zamir also discussed preparations to receive the hostages, an operation “which is expected to be conducted with sensitivity and professionalism,” per the statement.
“The IDF will continue to act to achieve the objectives of the war and to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts,” it concluded.
The IDF subsequently stated that following instructions from Israel’s political echelon and after a situational assessment, it had started “operational preparations” ahead of the deal’s implementation.
“As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are underway to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon,” it stated. “The IDF continues to be deployed in the area and prepared for any operational development.”
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the two-year-old war sparked by the terrorist group’s invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The agreement is expected to be formally signed at 12 noon Thursday in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Reuters, citing a source familiar with the details, reported that within the first 24 hours of the agreement, the IDF is expected to complete the first phase of its partial withdrawal in accordance with the Trump plan, with Hamas releasing the hostages within 72 hours of the formal signing.
“With God’s help, we will bring them all home,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said, referring to the 48 hostages still held captive in the Strip (20 are believed to still be alive).
Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit, warned Gazans on Thursday against returning to certain areas of the Strip before receiving official IDF approval.
The area north of Wadi Gaza, the valley separating central and northern Gaza, is “still considered a dangerous combat zone,” said Adraee. Israeli forces “continue to surround Gaza City, where returning to it is extremely dangerous,” he added.
“For your own safety, refrain from returning north or approaching areas where Israel Defense Forces are stationed and operating throughout the sector, including in the south and east of the sector, until official instructions are issued,” the Arabic statement on X concluded.
On Wednesday, IDF soldiers eliminated several terrorists in Gaza City that had been on their way to attack Israeli forces in the area, the military said in a separate statement. No injuries to Israeli soldiers were reported.
“Searches for additional terrorists are currently underway,” it stated, adding: “IDF troops under the Southern Command continue to operate against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip in order to protect Israeli civilians.”
JNS Staff
Source: https://www.jns.org/idf-welcomes-deal-with-hamas-orders-troops-to-prepare-for-any-scenario/
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