Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari- August 4, 2024

Good evening,

Throughout the past week and today, IDF troops are operating in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria, and other arenas to thwart threats against the State of Israel.

In addition to ongoing operational activity, this evening I want to address the various reports and rumors regarding alertness for the enemy's response against Israeli territory. I want to emphasize - at this time, there is no change in the Home Front Command's defensive policy. We are working to provide you with the necessary warnings to prepare for any threat, and unless stated otherwise, there is no change to the Home Front Command's defensive policy. We will update it only if required. At the same time, we are in strong readiness for defense in the air, at sea, and on land, and we are preparing for any sudden threat. We will update any changes in defensive policy on the Home Front Command's platforms, and I will be here to provide updates. The defense is not hermetic, so every citizen is required to know the guidelines for the area they are in and to remain alert.

In recent days, we have seen an increase in public visits to the Home Front Command website and the questions they have raised. All answers can be found on the Home Front Command website, and we are also updating it in response to new questions that have arisen.

Additionally, today, the Home Front Command launched a new system called "Personal Message." This is a system recognized by international standards that sends defense alerts for sudden large-scale emergency events. The alert is sent to mobile phones located in a threatened area. This is without the need for an app or any action from the citizen. The system is used worldwide for warnings about large-scale threats such as earthquakes. We have adapted it for alerts about threats like rocket and mortar fire. Again, this is not a replacement for the app.

The message will be accompanied by a designated sound and will appear immediately on the phone's screen. Please note that this message is also not a replacement for other Home Front Command alert systems that we use.

In Gaza, I want to update you on our operational effort. We are focusing on locating and neutralizing underground infrastructure in the Rafah area and the Philadelphi Corridor. So far, dozens of tunnels have been located, which are being investigated, neutralized, and destroyed by our troops. Not all of these are active tunnels; some are very old and have been previously dealt with by IDF troops - we are neutralizing them all.

Last week, our troops located a large-scale terror tunnel in the Philadelphi Corridor, approximately three meters high, large enough for a vehicle to pass through. At this stage, the troops are investigating the tunnel route and neutralizing it. The IDF is thoroughly destroying the underground infrastructure along the Philadelphi Corridor and will act with determination to prevent their formation in the future. This is a continuous and complex effort, combining operational, engineering, and advanced technological capabilities.

This morning, two Israeli citizens were murdered and two others were injured, in a stabbing attack in the city of Holon. We share in the grief of the families and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. The terrorist, a resident of the village of Salfit, was neutralized at the scene of the attack by a policeman. As soon as the event ended, IDF and Israel Border Police soldiers began mapping the terrorist's house in preparation for its demolition and began interrogating his family members.

On Saturday, IDF and ISA forces prepared in response to an alert about a terrorist cell in the Tulkarm area. The cell was on its way to carry out a terror attack on an axis or in a community. In a swift operation, an aircraft eliminated the cell of five terrorists who were inside a vehicle on their way to the planned terror attack.

A few hours later, in a counter-terrorism operation in Tulkarm, IDF and ISA forces directed an aircraft that eliminated four terrorists who had opened fire at our forces. Ground troops also operated against this cell. At the end of the operation, large quantities of weapons were found - firearms, ammunition, and military vests. Much of this weaponry comes to Judea and Samaria from Iran. For years, Iran has been arming and financing terrorist organizations across the Middle East, including smuggling explosives into Israeli territory for terror attacks against civilians. The IDF and ISA have already thwarted numerous attacks in which Claymore type explosives were smuggled into the country’s territory. We are determined to continue acting against Iranian terrorism wherever it may be.

This evening, we also remember the 115 hostages held by the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. We are committed to bringing them all home as soon as possible—those who are alive to their families, and those who are no longer alive to burial in Israel. This is our goal, and we will continue to act with great determination to achieve it.