Tel Aviv, Aug. 17 -- The "next phase" of Israel's war against Hamas will soon begin, Israel's top soldier said during a field tour of Gaza on Sunday.

"Today we are approving the plan for the next phase of the war. Just as in the recent operations in Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza, we will continue to reshape the security reality," said Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israel Defense Forces' Chief of Staff.

"We will act with a sophisticated, balanced, and responsible strategy. The IDF will deploy all its capabilities, on land, in the air, and at sea, in order to strike Hamas decisively," Zamir vowed.

"The current campaign is not a pinpoint one; it is just another layer in a long-term and planned strategy, with a multi-front v...