ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Israel’s new armed forces chief Eyal Zamir said during his inauguration on Wednesday that Tel Aviv’s mission to defeat Palestinian Hamas has not been “accomplished” as the two sides have largely ceased fire in the course of the past months amid a fragile truce deal.
"I accept command of the Israeli [military] with modesty and humility... Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated,” Zamir said during his inauguration. "The mission is not yet accomplished.”
The appointment of a new army chief comes as Israel and Hamas come amid a deadlock in negotiations on the next steps in a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.
Upon his inauguration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Zamir that Tel Aviv is “determined” to achieve victory across multiple fronts since their war began with Hamas in October 2023.
"A very heavy responsibility rests on your shoulders, the results of the war will have significance for generations, we are determined to achieve... victory," Netanyahu told Zamir.
Deadlock over second phase of ceasefire
Hamas on Sunday insisted on the implementation of a second phase of the ceasefire after Israel endorsed a US proposal for a temporary extension of the initial phase.
"The only way to achieve stability in the region and the return of the prisoners is to complete the implementation of the agreement... starting with the implementation of the second phase,” Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas’s call came shortly after Israel said it had approved a US proposal to extend the ceasefire in Gaza through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday in mid-April.
The first phase of the truce that took effect on January 19 expired on Saturday.
The second phase of that deal was supposed to secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza and pave the way for a more permanent end to the war.
According to Netanyahu's office, the US suggested this temporary extension as a temporary solution, as Hamas and Israel were at a negotiating impasse and could not immediately agree on the terms of a permanent ceasefire.
The ceasefire that brought the Israel-Hamas war sparked by the October 7, 2023 attack to a stop despite its fragility, has so far led to the release of 25 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has said it is ready to release "in one go" all the hostages numbering 59 remaining during the second phase.
Hamas on Sunday accused Israel of endangering the Gaza truce by delaying the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, with Netanyahu justifying the delay by citing concerns over the "humiliating” release of the hostages.
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