Gaza Division Commander Brig. Gen. Liron Betito says the IDF now controls 63% of the Gaza Strip and has established nearly 40 new outposts, giving Israeli forces a significant operational advantage as they continue dismantling Hamas’ remaining capabilities.

Speaking on an IDF podcast, Betito, who commanded the Givati Brigade on October 7, described a forward defense strategy that places Israeli soldiers between Gaza and the border communities.

“The communities are behind us, and first and foremost, IDF soldiers are positioned forward,” he said.

Betito said Israeli control over Gaza’s crossings has restricted Hamas’ ability to bring in supplies and weapons. Troops are conducting ongoing operations to eliminate terrorists, seize weapons and deny the terror organization freedom of action.

He also described extensive drilling operations to locate remaining tunnels. According to Betito, the IDF has destroyed almost all of Hamas’ underground infrastructure, but additional underground structures remain. Forces are drilling at closely spaced intervals and using technology to identify and map them.

“Hamas is in a very, very difficult situation,” he said.

The commander said the war has devastated Hamas’ military leadership, with the heads of its military wing, all brigade commanders and most battalion commanders eliminated over the course of the fighting. Replacement commanders have also been targeted, including recently eliminated commanders of the Rafah and Khan Yunis brigades.

Betito expressed optimism about the recovery of Gaza border communities, saying 90% of residents who lived there on October 7 have returned. He said kibbutzim and many moshavim are expanding as new families move into the area.

At the same time, he stressed that the military’s failure on October 7 and the trauma suffered by residents must remain firmly in view. Betito said he periodically stops at memorial sites, including the Nova massacre site, to remember the victims and maintain vigilance.

Discussing operations while hostages were held in Gaza, Betito described the restrictions their presence placed on troops’ movements and use of firepower.

He recalled an operation during the first month of the war in which his forces waited several days near a location holding living hostages, hoping for an opportunity to rescue them. Shortly before the first hostage agreement, he withdrew his troops despite being only a few hundred meters from a captive family.

Betito said the decision was deeply difficult but ultimately protected the hostages from the danger a rescue attempt would have posed. Looking back, he said he was proud of that judgment and described bringing the hostages home during such a difficult period as an extraordinary achievement.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)