IDF Press Release - Clarification

A number of international media outlets have erroneously referred to a quote allegedly made by the IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, concerning the IDF’s operations in Gaza.

Read Admiral Daniel Hagari speaks on the record every day and his statements are accessible to all. He did not say, in Hebrew or in English, the quote: “The emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy.”

On October 10, during a lengthy press briefing with Israeli military correspondents, the Spokesperson spoke of the types and quantity of Hamas military targets the IDF is choosing to strike, the munitions being used to attack such targets, and the underlying analyses involved in making these decisions. Describing that decision-making process, the IDF Spokesperson stated that “balancing accuracy” [in selecting which exact Hamas targets to strike] “and the scope of damage” [to Hamas’ overall military apparatus], the IDF is “focusing on maximum damage.” Meaning, in the early days of the war once the objective became to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities altogether, the IDF made a strategic shift from focusing on exactly which Hamas targets to hit, to striking as many Hamas military targets as possible, with the aim of dismantling all of Hamas’s military capabilities.

This statement has been selectively misinterpreted and misquoted to suggest that the IDF is focused on causing maximum damage to Gaza as a whole. This is blatantly false, as is clear from the preceding and subsequent sentences in the statement, and from the context in which it was provided.

To clarify again: Rear Admiral Hagari’s use of the words “maximum damage” highlights the following contrast: Whereas in past operations or wars, Israel has been more selective or “accurate” with regards to the exact types of Hamas targets struck, given that Israel’s overall objective was limited to diminishing Hamas’s capabilities. Israel is now focused on dismantling Hamas’s capabilities altogether, i.e. causing “maximum damage” to Hamas’ military capabilities in their entirety.

As such, any reference to this quote should explicitly include that Rear Admiral Hagari was referring to “maximum damage” to Hamas’ military apparatus, and his words “balancing accuracy” refer to the past practice of striking select Hamas military components. Based on the above, the correct professional translation for the Hebrew word (‘diyuk’), which has been translated by most as “accuracy” would rather be “exactness” in order to more suitably fit the context and appropriate professional terminology.

Senior IDF leadership — including Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari — have repeatedly and consistently stated that the IDF’s operations are solely against the Hamas terrorist organization and other terror groups in Gaza, and that the IDF takes extensive measures to mitigate harm to the civilian population in Gaza to the extent feasible.