Gaza Division Commander Brig. Gen. Liron Betito, who served as commander of the Givati Brigade on October 7, expressed optimism regarding the fight against Hamas in Gaza.

"The Gaza Division is in a situation where we control 63% of the territory. We have established almost 40 new outposts, and in practice this gives us a very significant advantage. The defense is forward defense - the communities are behind us, and first and foremost, IDF soldiers are positioned forward," Betito said in an interview with the IDF podcast.

He noted, "Our control of the crossings today is such that Hamas is unable to bring in what it brought in in the past. We carry out a great many operations to strip it of capabilities, strike operatives, take away its weapons, and perhaps most significantly of all - operational freedom of action. We are constantly carrying out active operations to create the best defense possible.

"In addition, we are drilling throughout the entire Strip to find where there are underground structures. Even though we have already achieved something very significant - we have destroyed almost all of the underground infrastructure - there is still underground infrastructure that may exist inside the Strip, and it does exist. We are drilling throughout the entire Strip, literally going every few meters, drilling deep, and using technological means to map the entire Strip. Hamas is in a very, very difficult situation," Betito emphasized.

He also addressed the blows dealt to the leadership of Hamas' military wing.

"When you look objectively at three years of war, we have eliminated all of the heads of the military wing - all of the brigade commanders, and most of the battalion commanders were eliminated in this war. Just recently, we eliminated two brigade commanders, both the Rafah Brigade commander, right here in our area, and the Khan Yunis Brigade commander, who were already second- and third-generation replacements."

Betito was also asked about the return of residents to the Gaza border communities and the memory of October 7.

"Looking at the figures - and this is amazing, this really is the people of Israel at their best - 90% of the residents of the Gaza border area who were here on October 7 have returned to live here. Moreover, in all the kibbutzim and in many of the moshavim, there are expansions, and new people are coming to live here.

"People are coming home, but we shouldn't avoid the issue. There was a failure here, and there is trauma here that needs to be remembered. I often drive along these roads, and every so often I stop - at a memorial, at Nova - and walk around by myself. Just to walk around, just to see the faces, just to remember what happened here. It's something that also keeps you focused, keeps you on alert - and remembrance is very important."

Asked about the complexity of maneuvering in Gaza while hostages were still being held there, Betito replied, "It really is a very, very complex maneuver. You can't use firepower the way you want to; you're very careful when approaching places where there are hostages.

"Right toward the end of the first month of the war, we were at a certain location where there were living hostages. We were positioned there to rescue them, one day and then another, and they weren't coming out. I'm praying that they'll come out, and the moment they come out, I know how to carry out an operation to extract them. Three or four days go by, and then, literally 24 hours before an agreement - the first agreement.

"In one of the most difficult decisions, I leave the area, when a family is just a few hundred meters away. But we made a decision, and in retrospect I'm proud of it, because we would have endangered them there. At first, I didn't believe we would succeed in bringing all those people home during such a period. I did everything I could, we worked hard on it, but it's an incredible achievement, and I think that's part of what makes us unique," he concluded.