Israel at war. IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari issued a statement to the media this morning (Wednesday) in which he addressed all the areas in which the State of Israel is engaged in combat.
At the beginning of his remarks, Brig. Gen. Hagari stated, "During the night, IDF fighters conducted significant battles, including a battle inside a multi-story building in the Jabaliya area. Terrorists fired at our soldiers. In this case, they used a civilian building near a school, a medical center, and a kindergarten. Our fighters directed aircraft and removed the threat."
The spokesperson also mentioned the elimination of the Jabaliya Battalion commander, Ibrahim Diari: "He was a significant terrorist who led the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip area. His death occurred within his stay at the Jabaliya refugee camp. Along with dozens of terrorists in an underground structure beneath a civilian building. The strike on him caused the collapse of the building and other structures. Once again, this demonstrates the cynical use of the civilian population, which we called upon to evacuate at the beginning of the war."
"In the north, we are vigilant and ready to respond both defensively and offensively. This applies to the deployment of our forces in defense as well as to any enemy force approaching our territory. The same goes for the Red Sea area – during the night, we intercepted a threat that approached Eilat. There was no threat to the civilians, and it did not come close to the borders of Israel."
In war there are also casualties
"A message has been delivered to the families of 240 captives and the families of 326 fallen IDF soldiers. The fighters who fell made a significant contribution to Israel's security. We are very strong, and thanks to them, we will prevail."
"For several days, we have been engaged in significant ground operations. We are advancing and deepening, reaching a more complex phase. In some of these battles, which are face-to-face encounters, we have casualties, fatalities, and wounded. In every such battle we have the upper hand. There hasn't been a single battle that didn't result in dead terrorists or those fleeing. We prioritize the security of our forces. We utilize the Air Force to safeguard the troops. However, in war, there are also casualties.
"The effort to bring back the captives is divided into three parts: Intelligence information – the Shin Bet, Mossad, and Military Intelligence are building a picture of the captives' identity, location, and other details. The second goal is any civil or diplomatic opportunity that can be obtained – that too will happen. We won't disclose the intelligence map of what we know. It's constantly changing."
