Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari December 11th, 20:15

Good evening. IDF soldiers are intensifying their combat in the main Hamas strongholds in the Gaza Strip. Today, the Chief of the General Staff and the Head of the Israel Security Agency (ISA) conducted a situational assessment in the heart of Khan Yunis along with the Commanding Officer of the Southern Command and the Commanders of the 98th Division. The 98th Division is operating in the Khan Yunis area, where Hamas terrorist infrastructure is located, dismantling this infrastructure both underground and above ground. The Chief of the General Staff reinforced the achievements of the soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip and in the south and emphasized to the commanders in the field how to continue and greaten the achievement with a focus on the underground in places where Hamas hides and comes from to fight IDF soldiers.

IDF soldiers will continue to locate all Hamas strongholds, especially in the Khan Yunis area, and apply military pressure until they dismantle Hamas' infrastructure there. Since the fighting resumed, the IDF and ISA have arrested about 140 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists across the Strip. In total, more than 500 terrorists have been arrested just in the last month. More than half of them were taken for further investigation in Israel. We interrogate the terrorists in the field and they tell us about the hiding places of additional terrorists and provide significant intelligence information for the generation of new targets for the continuation of the fighting.

This field investigation is happening in real-time as terrorists surrender. We arrest those who need to be arrested and release those who are not terrorists, removing them from the area southward to areas where civilians can stay. During the day, there were exchanges of fire in the north. Shots were fired towards the community of Ma'alot and the IDF responded with very strong and focused fire towards terror targets in Lebanon. The message is clear – Lebanon, the state of Lebanon, the terrorist organization, terrorist organizations will pay a very heavy price in Lebanon for any attack on civilian communities. We will strike with force and determination and will not allow this firing to continue towards civilians. This is how we will continue to operate in the north and will exact a price from terrorist organizations, especially the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which bears responsibility for this.

On the Home Front, I call on the public to continue to follow the updated guidelines – they save lives. In the last two months, the reservists have been mobilized in full force and glory in an inspiring way. Reservists play a crucial part in the war. We are working together with the authorities to assist in recognizing and easing the burden on reservists and their families as much as possible. We are working to ensure that reservists will have the best conditions as part of the preparations for the start of the academic year. The reservists and their families are at the center of our minds, the IDF owes them a lot, thanks to them we continue to operate determinedly in the war.

Today, we announced seven IDF fallen soldiers, among them six reservists who fought bravely to defend our home. May their memory be a blessing.
In addition, this evening, we remember that it is our duty to bring back all the hostages, both male and female, held in Gaza. The way we conduct the ground operation, even tonight it is important for you to know, is in a way that its purpose is to locate and bring efforts to bring the hostages home. We are conducting operations around the clock in order to achieve this goal and will continue to do so.