Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, May 11

Good evening,

At the end of the week, we released announcements regarding the fall of Sergeant Itai Levani, Sergeant Yosef Dassa, Sergeant Aramias Mekuria, Sergeant Daniel Levy, and Staff Sergeant Ariel Tzim, may their memory be a blessing.

They fought bravely in the Zeitoun area of Gaza, and fell as a result of an explosive and encounters with terrorists. We are accompanying the bereaved families and sharing in their sorrow during this difficult time.

IDF troops continue to fight in all parts of the Gaza Strip, in areas where we have not yet operated and in places where we have, we identified Hamas trying to recover and rebuild itself.

In northern Gaza, in the last hour, fighter jets have been striking terrorist targets across Jabaliya. This morning we began a temporary evacuation process of the Jabaliya area from this area towards the center of the strip as part of our preparation for a military operation in the area. In recent weeks, we have identified attempts by Hamas to restore its military capabilities in Jabaliya and we are working to dismantle these attempts. In the afternoon, troops from the Gaza Division began an operation against terrorist infrastructure in the Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia areas near the security fence.

In the central Gaza Strip, troops from the 99th Division are in the midst of a wide-scale operation in the Zeitoun area. The troops eliminated about thirty terrorists and located dozens of weapons in a school in the area. They are continuing operations there; in recent hours, they discovered a significant underground route through which terrorists planned to carry out an attack against our forces .

In the southern Strip, troops from the 162nd Division continue their operation on terrorist targets in eastern Rafah. This is a focused, intelligence-based operation against terrorist infrastructure in the area.

Last night, terrorists from the area and from the center of the Strip launched fourteen rockets towards Be'er Sheva. One of the rockets hit a children's playground. Hamas deliberately fired towards a populated area, which could have ended in disaster. Shortly afterward, IDF troops struck the launch sites from which the barrage was carried out as well as additional terrorist operatives in the area.

So far, we have eliminated dozens of terrorists in eastern Rafah, found a significant underground route, and seized many weapons. This morning we coordinated the temporary evacuation of the population in additional areas in eastern Rafah, adjacent to the combat zone. 

Hamas will continue to try to rebuild its military capabilities, and we will continue to be required to act and dismantle Hamas' capabilities. Wherever we have intelligence on such attempts by Hamas, we will act again.

On the northern border, a short while ago, sirens were activated due to an unmanned aerial vehicle by Hezbollah. The UAV fell near Beit Hillel; there were no casualties.

Today, we also struck in southern Lebanon, continuing the strikes carried out over the past week from the air and land. In the strikes, we targeted more than one hundred and twenty Hezbollah targets, involving weapons storage facilities, Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon that were planned to be used against our civilians near the fence and near the border. During these strikes, we eliminated more than 10 terrorists.

Last night, after several of our strikes in Lebanon and the elimination of two terrorists, launches from Hezbollah resulted in a fire near Kiryat Shmona and damage in several spots in the city. In response, the IDF struck the areas from which the launch was fired and the forces that carried out the launch.

Tomorrow we will mark the eve of Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) for the IDF's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism acts, and later this week the 76th Independence Day of the State of Israel amidst the war.

IDF soldiers and commanders will visit the cemeteries – a soldier will stand by each grave, salute during the siren, and support the bereaved families. Alongside those visiting the graves, there will be many IDF soldiers who will be fighting at that hour on the battlefield and who will enable us all to safely stand by and embrace the families on this day.

Since October 7th, there is hardly an Israeli civilian who has not closely encountered bereavement and loss. The war for our home and the return of the hostages is present in every home in Israel. 

Memorial Day carries a call to action to remember and to fight, to fight for our lives here, for all those who sacrificed their lives.

IDF troops are deployed in all arenas, both in offense and defense, fighting to protect our security here.

We will embrace the bereaved families who have paid the heaviest price.

We will accompany the wounded – those who have been physically injured and those who have been scarred in spirit.

We will continue to fight in order to create a security situation that will allow the residents of the north and the south to return home safely.

Even at this hour, every fighter and commander on the battlefield envisions the hostages, sees them, thinks of them, and fights to bring them home. There are 132 hostages still held in captivity in Gaza. It is the duty of the IDF and all security organizations to ensure their quick return home.