IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari issued a statement this morning (Monday) to the media in Israel, in which he made it clear that despite the morning's reports of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip and the evacuation of foreigners, the crossings remain closed, and no such decision has been made.
"We are on the tenth day of the war. We continued to strike targets in Gaza last night without a break. Hamas is preventing the residents of the city of Gaza from moving to the southern part of the Strip. Hundreds of thousands have moved south. We are making a continued effort in the Gaza envelope to clear the area, which is a combat zone. Citizens are required not to enter the area. In the past week, we have significantly reinforced the preparedness of various units throughout the country."
"If Hezbollah makes the mistake of testing us - the reaction will be deadly"
"The spokesperson referred to the situation in the north and said, 'Hezbollah has executed several shooting attacks to divert the effort from the south. This is done under Iranian guidance and support, endangering the state of Lebanon and its citizens. The IDF is deployed, prepared in the north. We have reinforced our forces, and we respond resolutely to every threat against us.'"
"This morning, the Minister of Defense approved the evacuation of settlements within 0-2 kilometers from the border. The plan is led by the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, and the National Emergency Authority. The evacuation is carried out to prevent harm to human lives and provide freedom of action for the IDF. Our goal is to combat Hamas in Gaza, where kidnapped Israeli civilians are held.
"Israel has a strong military with dual fronts capability and even more. It can operate with its own forces. We maintain our capabilities, so if Hezbollah dares to test us, the response will be lethal. We are acting in full coordination with the United States. The expression of this is in actions and they are well received in the Middle East."
The crossings to Gaza are closed, there is no ceasefire
"We have updated the families of 199 captives. We continue to prioritize the gathering of information regarding the captives, in both intelligence channels and operations. The IDF operates around the clock to bring back the captives.
"In the past hours, there have been reports about the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and the removal of foreigners. At this stage, I want to clarify that the crossings are closed, and no such decision has been made. There is no ceasefire. If anything changes, we will update the public. We are currently engaged in an offensive and combat against the murderous terrorist organization, Hamas."
