Milan, 17 August (LaPresse) – IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has announced that the army will ‘soon move on to the next phase’ of its ongoing offensive against Hamas, according to The Times of Israel. In a statement released by the IDF, Zamir said: ‘Today we are approving the plan for the next phase of the war.’ ‘We will maintain the momentum of Operation Gideon's Chariots by focusing on the city of Gaza,’ he said, referring to the military offensive against Hamas 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 use all its ground, air and sea capabilities to strike Hamas with force,‘ Zamir continued. The IDF chief added: ’We will soon move on to the next phase of Operation Gideon's Chariots, in which we will continue to increase the damage inflicted on Hamas in the city of Gaza until its defeat." ‘Operation Chariots of Gideon has achieved its objectives,’ Zamir also said, adding that ‘Hamas no longer has the same capabilities it had before the operation; we have dealt it a severe blow.’ Zamir concluded that the offensive against Hamas is not “localised”, but rather part of a “long-term, planned programme with a multi-pronged vision to strike all components of the axis, primarily Iran”.