Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari January 8th, 20:45

Good evening.

Today, we eliminated Hassan Akasha in Beit Jann, Syria. He was a key figure responsible for Hamas' rocket launches from Syrian territory toward Israel's Home Front in recent weeks.

We will continue to operate against Hamas leaders, and today we also targeted a series of Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including military sites belonging to the organization. We responded with fire to areas from which launches were identified toward Israeli territory. As we have stated since the beginning of the war, we will not tolerate a threat near the northern border. We said it, and we mean it.

I would like to address issues raised in the media today regarding the transition between the stages of the war. A few days ago, I explained the IDF's operations in the northern Gaza Strip and how we dismantled Hamas' military framework in the north.

While there are still terrorists and weapons in the north, they are no longer functioning within an organized military framework. We are now operating differently in that area, with a different mix of forces, to deepen our achievements. We are currently focusing on the central Gaza Strip, in the area of the central camps, and in the southern Gaza Strip, in the area of Khan Yunis. This is still a complex operational activity, with hard battles being fought both in the center and the south. The fighting will continue into 2024.

In the central Gaza Strip, IDF forces are concentrating their efforts on fighting in the area of the central camps in Al-Bureij. There, they located Hamas' main underground weapons manufacturing facility, situated 30 meters below ground. This factory produced long-range rockets, mortar bombs, and parts for UAVs. It was built along the Tancher axis, also known as Salah ad-Din Road, and is used by humanitarian aid trucks traveling from Rafah to the north. Hamas built its terror manufacturing facilities along the humanitarian corridor, underground, and above ground, within civilian factory spaces. Embedded within civilian areas, we found, dismantled, and are now destroying these facilities.

We will continue to operate in this manner. This is the largest weapons manufacturing site we have discovered since the beginning of the war. This factory was connected to an underground tunnel system, through which weapons were transferred throughout the Gaza Strip. The rockets manufactured there were launched toward central Israel and other areas in the State of Israel. We will continue to operate against Hamas' manufacturing infrastructure, against their underground system and against Hamas leaders throughout the Gaza Strip.