IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held an intelligence, operational, strategic, and multi-scene situation assessment to mark the 1,000th day of Israel being at war, the military announced on Monday.
The conference began with a memorial service for IDF soldiers who had been killed over the course of the war, including a minute of silence and a recording of Col. Asaf Hamami from October 7, 2023, the head of the IDF Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade at the time.
“Memory is not just a legacy of the past,” Zamir said about the opening remembrance ceremony. “It sharpens our responsibility every day and prepares us for the future.”
“The October 7 attack,” he added, “was an attack on the very existence of the Jewish people. We remember the fallen, their heroism and their families, and alongside them those wounded in body and mind. This memory obliges us to continue to change, move forward, derive and assimilate lessons in the regional learning race.”
He also explained that Israel is currently at a significant strategic crossroads.
“For a thousand days and a thousand nights we have been fighting one of the longest, most complex and demanding campaigns we have ever known,” he stated. “The combat leadership, decision-making, leadership and heroism of the fighters at the front, under fire and at the most difficult decision-making junctures – are what led the IDF to victory in all sectors. There is operational and command experience here that has not existed in the IDF since its establishment. We are committed to our soldiers, to the security of the State of Israel and to the security of the people of Israel.”
Gaza war changed how Israel fights, Zamir says
The Gaza war has altered the concepts behind how Israel fights its wars, he explained.
“We remember, learn and prepare for the continuation of the fighting and the many challenges that still lie ahead. The eyes of the citizens of Israel are upon us – out of criticism, out of appreciation and out of great love. We are committed to continuing and deepening our achievements, and at the same time to be a beacon of truth, of modesty, of professionalism and of responsibility.”
The commanders and soldiers of the IDF, Zamir said, would continue to safeguard the continued growth of the nation.
“The wheat is growing again,” he stated. “The responsibility now lies with us.”
