IDF Gaza strikes to require chief of staff's approval amid policy changes

All Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip will now require the approval of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Army Radio reported Tuesday, citing security sources.The requirement comes as the military tightens its overall attack policies, which until now required only the approval of a division commander.The recent reduction of IDF attacks in Gaza is a direct result of the policy changes and the general reduction in targets since the October 7 massacre, the report said.There had not been any strikes in Gaza over the past 48 hours, except for a single attack early on Monday, it said.Any “escalation of the policy of attacks in Gaza is a decision of the political echelon,” Army Radio quoted the IDF Spokesperson's Unit as saying.IDF kills multiple Gaza terrorists in recent strikesMultiple Gazans from various terrorist groups have been killed in recent weeks, including this past weekend in several strikes, the IDF reported.One of the strikes over the weekend in the Deir el-Balah area killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad Central Gaza Brigade commander, Mahmoud Fatair, the IDF reported Monday. He had taken part in the October 7 massacre and was involved in holding Rom Braslavski hostage, it said.Also on Monday, the IDF confirmed killing Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) terrorist Alaa Imad Khamis Tarams in Gaza City last week.The IDF said it had killed a Hamas Jabalya Battalion commander, Ahmad Khudar, the previous week.On Sunday, the IDF said it had killed Hamas Nukhba commander Salem Jamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad in southern Gaza on Saturday. He had taken part in the October 7 massacre, it said.The IDF confirmed the killing of a Hamas Maghazi Battalion commander, Muhammad Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib, on Friday.Netanyahu says no withdrawal while Hamas remains armedPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the notion of a premature Israeli withdrawal from its current positions in Gaza in a video posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday.“We won't retreat from the current lines until Hamas lays down all of its arms,” Netanyahu said in the video, adding that “we will allow IDF troops to do everything necessary to protect themselves, protect our territory, and protect our citizens.”Netanyahu also said the White House had sent Israel a draft proposal regarding Hamas's disarmament, but clarified that Israel had not accepted it and had sent it back with comments.Shoshana Baker contributed to this report.