Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari- June 15, 2024

This is a difficult evening,
Tonight we delivered the hardest news to the families of eight IDF soldiers who fell in action in Gaza. Captain Wassem Mahmoud, Deputy Company Commander, and seven of his soldiers fell early this morning during an operation in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah. In the early morning, with the completion of the operation on the northwestern part of the area, infantry, armored and engineering troops from the 401st Brigade entered the area in convoys of armored fighting vehicles in order to position themselves in the contact lines. According to the information we have at this stage, a powerful explosion occurred in one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy, seemingly caused by an explosive device planted in the area or as a result of anti-tank missile fire. Inside the armored vehicle were the eight soldiers who were killed.
Following this difficult incident, a team of experts from the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will examine the armored vehicle and all the details of the incident until we reach findings.

IDF representatives delivered the hard news to the families, and are currently with them at this difficult time.
After delivering the official notices to the bereaved families, we will allow the names of the additional fallen soldiers to be published. We are aware of the fact that there are accounts on social media that publish names before official confirmation from the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. I am asking you in this difficult time, to preserve the honor of the fallen and not to publish names until an official announcement is made on the matter. Please respect the bereaved families, our first commitment in the IDF is to them, and we will not deviate from this principle.

IDF troops are making progress in the defeat of the Hamas military wing, focusing on dismantling the Rafah Brigade's capabilities. The troops on the ground eliminate many terrorists every day in combat, destroy weapons, launchers and rockets and thus prevent Hamas’s ability to return to action against the citizens of the State of Israel as happened on October 7th. Today we received an additional painful reminder of the price of war and that behind the achievements of the war stand brave soldiers, heroes, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the State of Israel, that is the common home for all of us - Jews, Druze, Bedouins, Muslims and Christians - all citizens of Israel.
Our hearts, our thoughts, are with the families at this difficult time.

A week ago we, the IDF, the ISA and the Israel Police ‘Yamam’ (National Counter-Terrorism Unit) carried out Operation ‘Arnon’, we returned home Noa, Shlomi, Andrey and Almog. Tonight as well we do not forget the one hundred and twenty hostages. Along with the significant achievement, we must honestly say - we will not be able to return everyone home in this way. We continue and will continue to act in every way in order to create the conditions for the return home of all of the hostages as quickly as possible.

Tonight I would also like to turn from here to the residents of the north - on the northern border we are managing combat both in defensive and in offensive forms, while the main challenge remains one, the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes. This week we eliminated a senior Hezbollah official, Sami Taleb Abdullah, one of Hezbollah's central commanders in southern Lebanon, who for years led dozens of acts of terrorism and rocketfire against citizens of the State of Israel. Including the rocketfire on the eve of the Shavuot holiday towards Kfar Blum. He was a real threat to the residents of the north and therefore we eliminated him. This precise targeting is an expression of our determination to create a different security reality in the north; to change it so that the residents of the north can return to their homes safely.

In response to the elimination, Hezbollah fired and continues to fire rocket barrages and launches UAVs.
We manage to intercept most of the threats, but the defense is not hermetic. We do everything to optimize it and improve it all the time.
As a result of some of the launches, this is also the season, fires break out in several locations. Forces of Israel Fire and Rescue Services in cooperation with the IDF troops arrive in all areas immediately in order to take control of the fires, and to prevent danger to life.
Many residents were evacuated from their homes, and many more are paying a heavy price in their daily lives. Residents of the north, I know that next to the unbearable reality that you experience, you show extraordinary resilience and strength. Your resilience strengthens all the soldiers on the northern border, including many reservists who spend nights and days in defense and offense.
We constantly assess the situation and make decisions with discretion and responsibility.
We are determined and willing to do whatever it takes to change the security reality in the north, and we will not allow a return to what was before October 7th.