Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari December 1st, 20:15

Good evening and Shabbat Shalom,

Tonight, for the first time, the returned hostages are having a Friday night dinner with their families. It is so good to have you home. We will not rest until we return all the hostages - all of them.

This morning, the IDF renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip and is prepared for the next stages of the war. Hamas violated the operational pause agreement by not implementing the framework for the release of the hostages and also fired rockets into the territory of the State of Israel. Hamas still cruelly holds 136 hostages, including seventeen women and children who were mercilessly abducted from their homes. We will continue to do everything to bring back the hostages in every way.

We continue to invest significant efforts in intelligence and operational fronts, to bring information about the condition of the hostages. In recent days, the IDF, along with the Israel Police, notified the families of the hostages Eliyahu Margalit, Mia Goren, Ronen Engel, and Aryeh Zalmanovich of their deaths. This is after a committee of experts from the Ministry of Health, together with the National Center of Forensic Medicine, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and the Ministry of Religious Services, determined their death based on collected findings and established intelligence. In a joint operation of the ISA, utilizing its precise intelligence, and the IDF, we brought the body of the hostage Ofir Tzarfati Z"L to burial in Israel. We embrace the families in these difficult hours and continue to accompany them.

Since this morning, we have struck over two hundred targets in precise intelligence-based strikes throughout the Gaza Strip - in Khan Yunis, Rafah, Jabalya, Beit Hanoun, and more. We struck and destroyed Hamas targets and Hamas terrorists found within terror headquarters, booby-trapped areas, terror tunnels, and rocket launch sites.

To the civilians of Gaza: Yahya Sinwar chose to violate the agreed framework. He chose. He is guilty. He is responsible. He knew what the consequences would be and chose them.

Our fight with Hamas - ISIS is throughout the Gaza Strip. In the air, at sea, and also in ground operations. We operate in accordance with international law. We have published a detailed map that includes the division into areas that will allow the civilians of Gaza to move away from combat areas to a safer place and prevent Hamas from using them as a human shield. Anyone who provides shelter to Hamas, puts themself in danger.

All IDF forces utilized the days of the operational pause to strengthen preparedness, refresh forces, develop battle plans, and prepared well for the continuation of the operation.

Our goals are clear, and we will continue our operations to dismantle Hamas and create conditions for the return of all hostages.

In the north, this past hour, we struck Hezbollah terror targets with fighter jets and helicopters. We eliminated a terrorist cell that operated in Lebanese territory near the Zar'it area, and fired rockets from Lebanese territory into Israel.

The Chief of the General Staff conducted a situational assessment today with the General Staff Forum in light of the renewal of fighting and the move to the next stage of the war.

On the Home Front this morning, in accordance with the situational assessment, we decided to change the defensive policy and to intensify the guidelines in some areas of the country. We must not become complacent. The air defense system is doing an excellent job, but the defense it provides is not hermetic - it is important to follow the guidelines of the Home Front Command, they save lives.

Even as I speak, IDF service members, both regular and reserve, are steadfast and prepared in all sectors and on the front line - .determined to continue and fight