Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, declared Sunday night the launch of Operation “Returning Home”, signaling the final stage of the war with Hamas and the imminent return of the remaining hostages held in Gaza — two years after the October 7 massacre that upended Israeli society.

“In a few hours we will all be reunited — one people, embraced and united,” Zamir said in a nationally televised address from IDF headquarters. “We will rejoice at the sight of our living hostages returning to their families, and we will mourn the return of those who were murdered.”

The remarks, delivered as the army completed its redeployment along the Gaza border, framed the upcoming exchange as both a military and moral turning point — the culmination of what Zamir called “an existential war” that transformed a shattered nation into a “generation of victory.”

“We went out to defend on October 7th, from a shattering failure that will be engraved in the memory of every Israeli soldier and commander,” Zamir said. “From that fracture, the generation of victory has risen.”

He described the campaign against Hamas as a hard-won triumph achieved through “two years of relentless military pressure” combined with “complementary diplomatic measures,” asserting that the terror group had been defeated and that Gaza “no longer poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians.”

The IDF, Zamir said, is now fully deployed and “at full readiness” to oversee the transfer of the remaining 20 living hostages and the bodies of several others who were killed in captivity.

“The safety of our troops in battle and the safety of the hostages in captivity were central considerations throughout the entire course of the war,” he noted, stressing that every operational decision had been made to protect lives.

He praised the coordination between combat units, intelligence teams, and the Hostages Directorate — led by Maj. Gen. Gal Hirsch — calling their work “precise, professional, and responsible.”

“I saw your determination to bring the hostages home,” Zamir told his soldiers. “I saw eyes shining through the veil of exhaustion. I saw the unceasing faith in the justness of our cause. You did it — you brought this day.”

Zamir’s speech took on a tone of national reconciliation as he urged Israelis to see the hostages’ return as a moment of unity after division and trauma.

“Throughout the war, the value of camaraderie stood out between the lines,” he said. “Time and time again it united and strengthened us in moments of disagreement. On the day of the hostages’ return, we will convene for a day of national unity.”

The general’s remarks underscored a deliberate shift in message from the military’s earlier tone of defiance toward one of closure and cohesion — positioning the end of the hostage crisis not just as a victory, but as a symbol of national restoration.

Zamir also paid tribute to the 915 IDF soldiers killed since the start of the war, as well as the thousands injured or traumatized.

“The abyss of loss they left in the hearts of their loved ones has also been opened within me,” he said. “We will not forget, not even for a moment, the price of this loss, the sacrifice, or the individuals harmed physically or emotionally, who continue to fight a battle that is not yet over.”

Addressing the troops directly, Zamir concluded: “You are the heroic generation of the war. It is an honor for me to lead the IDF — from a tragic fracture to victory in the campaign.”

The speech capped a day of tense anticipation across Israel, as preparations for the final release of hostages entered their last phase under Operation “Returning Home.”

By Monday, Israel hopes to see what has eluded it for 737 days: its last captives returning — and a war, at long last, ending not in surrender or ceasefire, but in homecoming.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)