Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari-October 5, 2024

Good evening and good week,

Throughout the holiday and even now, our soldiers continue to operate in Lebanon.

The soldiers of the 98th and 36th Divisions are operating in the thicketed and urban terrain, locating and continuing to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons and terrorist infrastructure in the villages, the same villages from which Hezbollah was preparing to attack northern communities on the day of command.

So far, our troops have dismantled over two thousand Hezbollah targets, including military structures, weapons, and underground terrorist infrastructure of the organization.

The soldiers are gathering a large amount of weapons and intelligence on Hezbollah. In the footage seen here, our troops raided a Hezbollah underground command complex, and dismantled it. The troops entered a terror tunnel about 250 meters long, located about 300 meters from the border and not crossing into Israeli territory. As can be seen here, the troops found along the route a kitchenette and rooms enabling extended stays for Hezbollah terrorists underground, terrorist combat packs and weapons of the Radwan Forces ready for attack, command rooms, fresh food, and electrical and communication infrastructure. These compounds were intended to be used by Hezbollah terrorists in an attack on the communities of the Galilee. This tunnel did not cross into our territory, and yesterday we destroyed it.

The Hezbollah terrorist organization has invested great efforts and resources in placing its weapons underground and inside civilian buildings. We are currently working determinedly to destroy them in order to allow the residents of the north to return to their homes in safety. We are pushing Hezbollah northward. Some of the terrorists have fled, and some are being eliminated in close-quarters combat with our soldiers.

Since the beginning of ground activities, the troops have eliminated around 440 terrorists from the ground and the air, 30 of whom are commanders of various ranks. The battle has a heavy price. Since the operation in southern Lebanon began, we have reported the deaths of nine IDF soldiers in various encounters with terrorists. Yesterday, we announced that two IDF soldiers were killed by the explosion of a UAV that came from Iraq. In the same incident, another 24 soldiers were injured, 21 of them lightly. We are investigating the incident.

The IDF soldiers who fell in battle sacrificed the most precious thing for the citizens of Israel and their security. We embrace the bereaved families in these difficult hours and will continue to accompany them.

The ground activity is accompanied by dozens of airstrikes by IAF aircraft, which continue to strike, even now, throughout Lebanon, both in southern Lebanon and in Beirut. Yesterday, we struck Hezbollah's main intelligence headquarters in Dahieh. We are examining the results of the strike and will update further.

The severe blow to the flagship Iranian terror project - Hezbollah in Lebanon - continues. Its chain of command has been eliminated, and we have hit its strategic capabilities. This pains Iran's leadership, the same Iranian leadership that committed a grave act by attacking Israel and launching missiles from its territory toward civilian areas in the center and south of the country. Due to our defensive capabilities and the responsible behavior of the public, there were no casualties. There were hits at the Nevatim and Tel Nof Airbases, but they did not damage planes or the operational systems of the IAF. Our readiness remains intact. During and immediately after the attack, IAF jets continued to strike from those airbases in several arenas.

The way we will respond to this heinous attack will be in a place and time of our choosing, according to the directives of the political echelon.

In Gaza, we confirmed that three months ago, in an IDF and ISA strike, we eliminated the terrorist Ruhi Mushtaha, who served as the head of Hamas' governance in the Gaza Strip and was the right-hand man of Hamas leader and architect of the murderous massacre, Yahya Sinwar. Mushtaha was one of the few who knew about the massacre plan.

Along with him, other terrorists in the Hamas leadership were eliminated. Hamas tried to conceal their deaths for months, to prevent a moral and functional blow to the organization, a practice they have followed in other eliminations. Additionally, IDF troops continue their ground operations in the Central Gaza Strip Corridor and the Rafah and Philadelphi areas.

In Judea and Samaria, in a joint IDF and ISA operation last Thursday, we eliminated the head of Hamas infrastructure in Tulkarm, along with more than 14 other terrorists whom Hamas claimed as members of their organization. They were planning to carry out an attack inspired by October 7th, in the immediate future, and their elimination removed an imminent threat to Israel's home front.

At the end of a situational assessment, it was decided to update the defensive guidelines for the home front, allowing gatherings of up to 2,000 people from the Carmel area and southward. Schools and work will also resume according to the guidelines. The full guidelines are available on the Home Front Command website.

This week we will mark one year since the beginning of the war and October 7th. We are prepared with reinforced forces, assuming that attempts will be made to carry out attacks on the home front around the commemoration day. We are conducting a continuous situational assessment with other security bodies, and the troops are deployed and ready at a very high level.

365 days have passed since October 7th. 365 days in which the IDF has been intensely operating in Gaza, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria, and distant arenas. The fighting spirit and perseverance of the IDF soldiers and commanders, in regular, reserve, and permanent service, have led to significant achievements. In our minds are always the hostages who need to return home urgently, our residents still displaced from their homes, the bereaved families, and our wounded, both physically and mentally, paying the heavy price of war. At the one-year mark, we are committed to continuing the fight for them. We will always remember them.