IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held an intelligence, operational, strategic, and multi-theater situational assessment on Monday to mark the 1,000th day of Israel being at war, the IDF reported.
The conference began with a memorial service for soldiers who had been killed over the course of the war, including a minute of silence and a recording of Col. Asaf Hamami during the October 7 massacre in 2023, who was the commander of the IDF Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade.
“Memory is not just a legacy of the past,” Zamir said at the beginning of the ceremony. “It sharpens our responsibility every day and prepares us for the future.”
“The October 7 attack was an attack on the very existence of the Jewish people,” he said. “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.”
Israel was currently at a significant strategic crossroads, Zamir said.
“For 1,000 days and 1,000 nights we have been fighting one of the longest, most complex, and demanding campaigns we have ever known,” he said. “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 Israel-Hamas War has altered the concepts behind how Israel fights its wars, Zamir said.
“We remember, learn, and prepare for the continuation of the fighting and the many challenges that still lie ahead,” he said. “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 would continue to safeguard the continued growth of the nation, Zamir said.
“The wheat is growing again,” he said. “The responsibility now lies with us.”