Israel’s top soldier warned Tuesday that nearly two years of nonstop combat in the Gaza Strip have pushed the military to the edge of exhaustion and that a prolonged cease‑fire is now vital to restore readiness—even if Hamas remains intact.
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who became chief of staff in March, told senior officers at a strategy review in the Glilot base north of Tel Aviv that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) need an “operational break” to overhaul training, replenish equipment and refine war aims.
“We must pause, study our methods and reset our objectives,” Zamir said, according to an official summary. “Without a strategic breather the IDF risks internal strain and a loss of public backing.”
Key points from Zamir’s briefing
- Call for a long‑term truce: Even short of dismantling Hamas, Zamir said a durable cease‑fire would let the army repair combat units and resume large‑scale live‑fire drills that have been suspended for two straight years.
- Year of rebuilding: The general branded 2026 “the year of preparedness,” pledging to rebuild combat competence after political leaders prolonged Gaza operations in early 2025.
- Persistent fronts: He vowed to keep forces positioned around Gaza, southern Lebanon and the occupied Golan Heights under a “defense‑by‑offense” doctrine.
- Training overhaul: A new Training and Lessons Directorate will ingest battlefield data and upgrade intelligence and tech capabilities to counter Hamas adaptations and Hezbollah’s evolving arsenal.
- Readiness warning: The IDF has not conducted a full corps‑level live‑fire drill on the northern front since 2023, eroding deterrence, Zamir said.
War’s inconclusive scorecard
An annual IDF assessment circulated at the meeting said operations have delivered tactical gains—most recently in Rafah—but acknowledged that Hamas has not been defeated. The memo warned that an Israeli pullback from the Muraj corridor on Gaza’s southern coast could allow militants to re‑infiltrate areas the army once controlled.
Military psychologists and lawmakers have also flagged rising suicide rates inside the ranks, underscoring the cost of extended deployments.
Looking ahead
Zamir said the army will keep pressing Hezbollah along the Lebanon border and monitor Syria’s volatile south, but the priority is “getting back to basics and readiness.” Without a course correction, he cautioned, “2026 could find us less capable than when the Gaza campaign began.”
His remarks came amid coalition infighting in Jerusalem over whether to seek a negotiated pause or press on until Hamas’s command structure is crushed—an outcome commanders now say may lie beyond reach without a strategic reset.