Israel's Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved on Sunday a plan to move to the “next stage” in the Gaza war.

Axar.az informs, citing Times of Israel, in remarks published by the IDF, Zamir said: “Today we are approving the plan for the next stage of the war.”

“We will maintain the momentum of Operation Gideon’s Chariots while focusing on Gaza City,” he said, referring to a military offensive against Hamas that was launched in May.

“We will continue to strike until Hamas is defeated, with our eyes on the hostages. We will act with a sophisticated, measured, and responsible strategy. The IDF will employ all its capabilities on land, in the air, and at sea in order to strike Hamas with force,” Zamir said.