Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari November 20th, 20:15

Good evening,

IDF soldiers continue to fight and further their achievements in the Gaza Strip. In the past days, our soldiers have been in frontal battles with terrorists from Hamas’ ‘Zaytun’ Battalion. This is one of the key battalions of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. Our soldiers have the upper hand in these battles. Our soldiers located and destroyed much of the battalion’s resources, including factories for the production of rockets and weapons, terrorist and intelligence materials, and headquarters. All of which are located inside or near schools, mosques and other humanitarian complexes. This is Hamas’ method of operation, to use the civilian population as a human shield. In addition, the soldiers from the 188th Brigade located inside a mosque, a factory that produced weapons and UAVs. I want you to understand - a mosque in the area of Zaytun has been used as a factory for the production of weapons. Soldiers entered the mosque and conducted a search. Working in cooperation with soldiers from the Yahalom unit and after the forces checked that there were no traps, they discovered a tunnel shaft.

In addition to this tunnel shaft, the soldiers went further below and discovered a workshop for making rockets. Terrorists making rockets inside a mosque, taking advantage of Islam and the symbols of Islam in order to produce terrorism. This is how we work, by exposing a lot of weapons, destroying terrorist infrastructure and revealing to the world Hamas’ methods of using mosques, schools and hospitals in order to hide its terrorist infrastructure.

Every time, before soldiers engage in combat, the IAF conducts a wide series of strikes directed at removing threats to the ground forces and creating optimal conditions for ground operations. The soldiers continue to advance according to plan. This takes time because of efforts to ensure the security of our soldiers, preliminary action by the IAF, the conducting of searches, and the need to detect explosives and booby-traps. This takes time and it is good that it does, it requires patience and this is how we will continue to act.

This war has stages. We conduct ongoing situational assessments every day. We adjust the deployment of our reservists in some of the IDF's homefront units. We can reduce the number of reservists, and return them home in order to recharge and be ready to return later, This helps the economy, and we can do this because they are in units in the rear. We thereby create conditions that allow us to sustain the fighting over time.

In the north, the IDF struck with fighter jets, combat helicopters and tanks, Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and eliminated terrorist cells in Lebanese territory. It was a very broad strike in which we eliminated Hezbollah terrorists who fired rockets at us, and a squad that tried to fire anti-tank missiles into Israeli territory. We responded in a very firm manner to the shooting toward our territory. Hezbollah's launches struck Israeli territory. Three aircraft were launched and one hit an outpost. There were no casualties in the north. We have no casualties and we responded very aggressively to these attacks. We are on very high alert in the north and will continue to actively respond.

On the home front, we continue to update the guidelines of the Home Front Command constantly. The guidelines must be followed, they save lives. They are continuously updated. We are making adjustments in the south in regard to learning and also with municipalities where the various learning institutions are open. Keep checking the websites to stay up to date with the guidelines. These guidelines save lives.

So far, we have notified the families of 388 fallen IDF soldiers who have fallen in the battles for the defense of Israel. We embrace the families in their most difficult time, may their memory be blessed.

Today was celebrated worldwide as International Children's Day. At this moment, 40 boys and girls are being held in the Gaza Strip. They were brutally kidnapped from their beds by Hamas terrorists. They are being kept across Gaza, away from their homes. Some are held without their parents, without basic rights. The people responsible for this crime are the Hamas leadership, led by Yahya Sinwar. He is solely responsible for knowing where these children are and is the one responsible for this. We and the entire world have a moral obligation to return these children and all the hostages home. To the families of the hostages - we will do everything, everything to make this happen.