Zamir: Campaign Against Iran ‘Not Over,’ IDF Prepares for 2026 Showdown
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir outlined a multi-arena strategy to counter threats from Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, emphasizing continued operations in Gaza, Syria, and Judea and Samaria. The assessment highlighted the need for readiness and intelligence superiority to address complex regional challenges in 2026.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir convened a critical multi-arena situational assessment, the first in nearly two years, with the General Staff and Operational Staff Forums to address escalating regional threats. The meeting, held at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, evaluated intelligence, operational strategies, and challenges across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria, and Iran’s axis of influence. Zamir emphasized the need for proactive operations, stating, “The IDF is required to act proactively across multiple arenas, alongside essential defense in the arenas and along the borders. We will continue to preserve our aerial superiority and advance our intelligence efforts.”
Zamir described the Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages, as “one of the most complex the IDF has ever known.” He highlighted Southern Command’s achievements, with regular and reserve brigades operating daily, but acknowledged the heavy toll, noting, “We are paying a heavy price in combat, as we saw just today. We will continue operating to achieve our objectives: the return of the hostages and the dismantling of Hamas.” The conflict has claimed 895 Israeli lives, with 50 hostages still held as of July 2025.
Addressing broader threats, Zamir declared, “Iran and its axis remain in our sights, the campaign against Iran is not over.” Following the June 2025 Twelve-Day War, which destroyed a third of Iran’s air defenses, the IDF continues targeting Iranian proxies in Syria and countering Hezbollah’s 120,000 rockets. In Judea and Samaria, 1,200 terrorist incidents in 2025 underscore ongoing operations. “We are operating in Judea and Samaria and consistently combatting terrorism,” Zamir said, while also aiming to prevent Syria and Hezbollah from gaining strategic capabilities.
Looking to 2026, he stressed readiness and cultural values, stating, “The year 2026 will be a year of readiness, consolidation of achievements, return to competence and fundamentals, and utilizing operational opportunities.” Social media posts on X echoed urgency, with one user stating, “Zamir’s right, Israel can’t let Iran or Hezbollah catch a break.”