IDF chief says 'heavy blow' against Iran creates potential to 'advance our goals in Gaza'

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir reported on Friday that the Israeli military's success against Iran will potentially facilitate Israel’s goals in Gaza against the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas.

“Iran took a heavy blow. There is potential that the blow caused to Iran will advance our goals in Gaza,” Zamir stated.

Before the Oct. 7 attack in 2023, the Iranian regime was one of Hamas’ main funders. By dramatically weakening Iran's nuclear and military facilities, Israel believes Hamas will be more inclined to moderate its position in the ongoing Israeli hostage negotiations.

Zamir further emphasized that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) would soon achieve its military objectives in Gaza that were approved by the government in Jerusalem.

“In the near future, we will reach the lines we defined for the current phase within the framework of Gideon’s Chariots,” the IDF chief said.

The military operation, “Gideon's Chariots”, announced in May, envisions the IDF taking control of more than 75% of the Gaza Strip. The primary goal of the plan is to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to force its surrender and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Israeli officials estimate that 20 of the 50 remaining hostages are still alive.

Looking ahead, Zamir signaled that Israel’s political echelon will need to decide the path for Gaza’s future.

“From there, operational options will develop that will be presented to the political echelon,” Zamir said, adding that the IDF “will continue to act with determination to achieve the two objectives of the campaign, the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”

The Israeli government has so far refrained from publicly declaring its post-war Gaza plan. In December 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that neither Hamas nor its political rival Fatah would be permitted to rule Gaza after the war.

“Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan,” Netanyahu stated, arguing that both organizations are either directly involved or back terrorism against the Jewish state. While considered more moderate than Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, which is controlled by Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, has incentivized terrorism against Israelis through its controversial pay-for-slay policy.

While avoiding specifics, Netanyahu has hinted that he envisions local Gazans unaffiliated with terrorism taking on administrative responsibility for governing the coastal enclave after the war, with support from Arab states and the international community. His reluctance to outline a post-war vision for Gaza has, since the outset of the conflict, been tied to pressure from his far-right coalition partners, who oppose ending the war and insist on long-term Israeli military control of the territory.

However, a political breakthrough may be on the horizon.

Hamas is reportedly struggling to maintain control of Gaza amid severe military losses, the withdrawal of Iranian support, and growing unrest from rival Gazan clans.

Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump are reportedly working on a Gaza peace plan that would secure the release of the remaining hostages, neutralize Hamas’ rule and expand the Abraham Accords peace agreements.

On Friday, Trump estimated that a Gaza ceasefire could be achieved “within the next week.”

A fresh post-Iran war poll indicated a political boost for Netanyahu’s Likud party and a decline for his conservative coalition partners. With the military success against Iran and the rise of Likud, Netanyahu could potentially decide to dissolve his current coalition government and improve his position through new elections.