Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, May 14

Good evening,
I have just arrived from the Chief of the General Staff's situational assessment in eastern Rafah, together with the Commanding Officer of the Southern Command, the Head of the Operations Directorate (J3) and the Commanding Officer of the 162nd Division.
We visited the forces operating in the field from the Givati ​​Brigade and the 401st Armored Brigade, who operated in the area during the holiday.
Currently, three divisions are operating in Gaza, in three different focal points - in the north, center and south of the strip.
During Memorial Day and Independence Day alone, we eliminated approximately one hundred terrorists in Gaza.

In the south of the Gaza Strip, forces of the 162nd Division continue a targeted operation on terrorist targets and Hamas focal points in the eastern Rafah area.
Since the beginning of the operation in Rafah, the forces have eliminated approximately one hundred terrorists, destroyed launchers, located approximately ten underground terrorist routes, and located many weapons, including anti-tank missiles, rockets, explosives and more. We are engaged in destroying both the underground infrastructure and weapons.
Today, we revealed unusual footage of armed terrorists next to UN vehicles, which we located a few days ago, and shooting inside an UNRWA compound in eastern Rafah. We forwarded the findings to senior members of the international community, and called on the UN to urgently investigate the connection between UNRWA’s logistics centers to Hamas operatives by their vehicles.

At the same time, in the central Gaza Strip, forces led by the 99th Division have been operating for several days in an extensive operation in the Zeitoun area, during which approximately one hundred and fifty terrorists have been eliminated, and approximately eighty structures used for terrorism were destroyed. Earlier today, in cooperation with the ISA, we struck a central Hamas war room that was embedded inside an UNRWA school, yes embedded inside an UNRWA school. In that room there were approximately fifteen terrorists, some of whom were involved in planning and carrying out the October 7th Massacre. Nukhba terrorists. We precisely struck the room they were situated in, and eliminated the operatives.

In the northern Gaza Strip, forces of the 98th Division are operating in the heart of Jabalya in an area where the IDF has not yet operated. In this activity, so far, approximately eighty terrorists have been eliminated, rocket launchers were destroyed, including a number of long-range rockets, and workshops for the production of weapons have been destroyed. We received intelligence indications about this area and the operation was directed according to these intelligence indications, where we located weapons and destroyed them. IAF aircraft are carrying out airstrikes in close cooperation with the ground forces, and so far over a hundred targets in the area have been struck.
At the same time, forces led by the Gaza Division are targeting and destroying terrorist infrastructure. In the area of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, areas close to the border, we are operating to prevent the existence of terrorist infrastructure close to the border.

We are operating with determination in all three parts of the Gaza Strip. Forces from the air, land and sea are simultaneously striking terrorist targets.
The forces operate in combat against terrorists, and unfortunately there are also wounded soldiers. Today, thirteen soldiers were injured during combat, four of them seriously. They were taken to the hospital and their families were informed. We wish them good health and from here we will continue to pray until they return to their strength. We act with determination, thoroughness and creativity, while maintaining the security of our forces as a central task.

On the northern border, a civilian was killed today as a result of an anti-tank missile hitting Adamit. We mourn his death, and support his family at this difficult time. In addition, five soldiers were lightly to moderately injured. Their families were informed, they were evacuated for medical treatment, and we wish them a speedy recovery. During the day, we struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in a number of different locations.

Throughout Memorial Day and Independence Day, IDF troops were deployed on all borders - in Gaza, in the north, in the center and in more distant regions to maintain the security of the residents and citizens of the State of Israel and allow us all to mark these national days in the shadow of the war with security.

I am now returning from eastern Rafah, where we met the commanding officers of the brigades from the field. They looked at the Chief of the General Staff and said to him: Chief of the General Staff, there are also hostages in the Rafah area. We are determined to do whatever it takes to create the conditions for them to quickly return home to us.