Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, October 12th, 11:30

IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari:

We recently completed another wave of aerial strikes - the focus of our strikes was Hamas’ commando forces who carried out the murderous attacks in southern Israel. Murderous terrorists are leading Hamas’ attacks. We will settle the score with any terrorist who was involved in these attacks. 

We are identifying those who committed these atrocities, cross-referencing information and locations, and we will pursue them - they will not be immune.

Anyone in the Gaza Strip who provides terrorists shelter is taking a very big risk. 

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, we neutralized a murderous terrorist who had recorded every brutal act he committed. No terrorist is immune. 

Hamas is ISIS. 

The soldiers of the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion carried out a courageous battle that lasted over eight hours, at the end of which 12 terrorists were neutralized and 14 terrorists were apprehended. Overnight, we neutralized a senior Hamas operative who had a stockpile of naval commando equipment and underground combat equipment at his personal residence. We will continue prioritizing the neutralization of senior Hamas operatives and commanders. 

We are destroying Hamas’ capability to operate in the Gaza Strip. The terrorist organization is unable to function, and we will continue to destroy its capabilities until it is not operational. The Hamas terrorist organization is in a state of chaos. 

One of our priorities is to clear the area surrounding Gaza. We have tens of thousands of soldiers in the area, and they are still initiating contact with terrorists. We are asking all civilians to stay out of combat zones unless their presence there is in coordination with the IDF. There have been four encounters in which IDF soldiers neutralized terrorists over the past 24 hours alone. 

Anyone who comes near the Gaza security fence will be neutralized. 

The IDF and all its units, branches and directorates are conducting extensive logistical preparations and completing the drafting of reservists. We are at peak readiness in the northern arena and have forces deployed near both Lebanon and Syria.  

We examined last night’s events in cooperation with the Home Front Command. No security incident occurred in the north last night; there was a false alarm (sirens) that we mistakenly didn’t identify. It is not a cyber security incident but simply the wrong interpretation at the time when decisions were made. We are learning from the incident. 

We continue to maintain high alertness and readiness in all arenas. Any enemy who challenges Israel in one of the arenas will face a very strong counterattack. 

Safety instructions remain the same for the time being. 

Regarding the issue of equipment, we are continuing to operate a center to respond to logistical issues. The IDF is working 24/7 to provide a response to its service members. Keep updating us if you are missing anything.

There are priorities when it comes to those actively fighting in the south and those who are in preparation for the next stages of the war. Please show patience. This morning, the Ministry of Defense, the IDF, and the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers opened an additional center for those who are wanting to contribute to the IDF. We have done so not because we are experiencing shortages but because the public is requesting to assist. We understand the public’s desire to support the IDF; this is a beautiful demonstration of the Israeli spirit. It provides our soldiers with resilience and strengthens their fighting spirit.

So far, we have informed 222 families of fallen soldiers regarding the loss of their loved ones. We embrace the bereaved families and hope for the full recovery to everyone injured. 97 families have been informed that their loved ones have been abducted. We are aware of the anticipation and uncertainty that many families are experiencing at the moment. We are working around the clock and conducting an immense intelligence effort to locate all missing persons. I am aware of the criticism, but we are operating in a professional and honest manner to provide every family with detailed and trustworthy information.

It is important to us that each and every one of those who have been murdered will be buried in a manner respectful to them and their families. As of yesterday, teams from the IDF Manpower Directorate are contacting the residents of the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, wherever they have been evacuated, and are collecting information regarding their loved ones.

Regarding fake news, the Arabic media took steps yesterday to minimize the damages Hamas has caused. The atrocities they have committed are horrific. Hamas has attempted to portray itself as a charitable organization for the poor. In reality, Hamas is worse than ISIS, and whoever donates to it is in fact financially supporting ISIS-like actions.

I will continue to update you twice a day, in the morning and the evening, with the current situational assessment and major events. These are extremely tense days, and difficult days lie ahead. Our job in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit is to honestly reflect the current situation. This evening I will be answering questions on the IDF’s social media platforms. I urge you to continue staying informed and to send questions.

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