IDF Chief of Staff Warns of External Election Interference

The Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, announced on Tuesday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have bolstered forces and strengthened defense arrays across all fronts in preparation for the upcoming elections. During a visit to a command exercise for the Gaza Division, Zamir warned that Israel's enemies continue to plan operations against the country. He emphasized that a primary mission of the military is to prevent attempts to influence the democratic elections through security threats. "Our goal is to enable the holding of democratic elections without external influence," Zamir stated. He clarified that the IDF is proactively acting against threats rather than merely preparing to respond after they occur. "In the past week, we have strengthened defenses and reinforced forces in all arenas, and we are at a high level of alertness and readiness. Our enemies have suffered severe blows, but they continue to plan operations against us. We are operating in all combat zones with a concept of forward defense and counter-terrorism. We do not wait for threats but act proactively to remove them," the Chief of Staff said. Zamir also addressed the lessons learned from the October 7th attacks, stressing the need to ensure that defense and command systems operate differently in the future. "The lessons of October 7th compel us to ensure that such an event never happens again," he said. "We must always be prepared, understand that there are blind spots we do not identify, and prepare for every scenario." He added that the military's test is readiness, fitness, and operational pace, ensuring that orders and instructions are implemented down to the last outpost and force in the field to prevent the enemy from surprising them. Zamir also referred to the ongoing IDF operations against Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7th attack, defining the continued pursuit of them as an operational and ethical mission.