This is a difficult evening. Tonight we delivered the hardest news to the families of eight IDF soldiers who fell in action in Gaza. Captain Wassem Mahmoud, Deputy Company Commander, and seven of his soldiers fell early this morning during an operation in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah. Early this morning, with the completion of the operation in the northwestern part of the area, infantry, armored, and engineering troops from the 401st Brigade entered the area in convoys of armored fighting vehicles to position themselves on the contact lines. According to the information we have at this stage, a powerful explosion occurred in one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy, seemingly caused by an explosive device planted in the area or as a result of anti-tank missile fire. Inside the armored vehicle were the eight soldiers who were killed.
Following this difficult incident, a team of experts from the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will examine the armored vehicle and all the details of the incident until we reach findings. IDF representatives delivered the hard news to the families and are currently with them at this difficult time. After delivering the official notices to the bereaved families, we will allow the names of the additional fallen soldiers to be published. We are aware that accounts on social media may publish names before official confirmation from the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. I am asking you, in this difficult time, to preserve the honor of the fallen and not to publish names until an official announcement is made on the matter. Please respect the bereaved families; our first commitment in the IDF is to them, and we will not deviate from this principle.
IDF troops are making progress in defeating the Hamas military wing, focusing on dismantling the Rafah Brigade's capabilities. The troops on the ground eliminate many terrorists every day in combat, destroy weapons, launchers, and rockets, thus preventing Hamas’s ability to return to action against the citizens of the State of Israel, as happened on October 7th. Today we received an additional painful reminder of the price of war and that behind the achievements of the war stand brave soldiers, heroes, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the State of Israel, which is the common home for all of us—Jews, Druze, Bedouins, Muslims, and Christians—all citizens of Israel. Our hearts and thoughts are with the families at this difficult time.
A week ago, the IDF, the ISA, and the Israel Police ‘Yamam’ (National Counter-Terrorism Unit) carried out Operation ‘Arnon’; we returned home Noa, Shlomi, Andrey, and Almog. Tonight as well, we do not forget the one hundred and twenty hostages. Along with this significant achievement, we must honestly say that we will not be able to return everyone home in this way. We continue and will continue to act in every way to create the conditions for the return home of all the hostages as quickly as possible.
Tonight I would also like to address the residents of the north. On the northern border, we are managing combat in both defensive and offensive forms, while the main challenge remains the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes. This week we eliminated a senior Hezbollah official, Sami Taleb Abdullah, one of Hezbollah's central commanders in southern Lebanon, who for years led dozens of acts of terrorism and rocket fire against citizens of the State of Israel, including the rocket fire on the eve of the Shavuot holiday towards Kfar Blum. He was a real threat to the residents of the north, and therefore we eliminated him. This precise targeting is an expression of our determination to create a different security reality in the north, to change it so that the residents of the north can return to their homes safely.
In response to the elimination, Hezbollah fired and continues to fire rocket barrages and launch UAVs. We manage to intercept most of the threats, but the defense is not hermetic. We do everything to optimize and improve it all the time. As a result of some of the launches, and this being the season, fires have broken out in several locations. Forces of Israel Fire and Rescue Services, in cooperation with the IDF troops, arrive in all areas immediately to take control of the fires and prevent danger to life. Many residents were evacuated from their homes, and many more are paying a heavy price in their daily lives. Residents of the north, I know that alongside the unbearable reality that you experience, you show extraordinary resilience and strength. Your resilience strengthens all the soldiers on the northern border, including many reservists who spend nights and days in defense and offense.
We constantly assess the situation and make decisions with discretion and responsibility. We are determined and willing to do whatever it takes to change the security reality in the north, and we will not allow a return to what was before October 7th.
This is a difficult evening. Tonight we delivered the hardest news to the families of eight IDF soldiers who fell in action in Gaza. Captain Wassem Mahmoud, Deputy Company Commander, and seven of his soldiers fell early this morning during an operation in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah. Early this morning, with the completion of the operation in the northwestern part of the area, infantry, armored, and engineering troops from the 401st Brigade entered the area in convoys of armored fighting vehicles to position themselves on the contact lines. According to the information we have at this stage, a powerful explosion occurred in one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy, seemingly caused by an explosive device planted in the area or as a result of anti-tank missile fire. Inside the armored vehicle were the eight soldiers who were killed.
Following this difficult incident, a team of experts from the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will examine the armored vehicle and all the details of the incident until we reach findings. IDF representatives delivered the hard news to the families and are currently with them at this difficult time. After delivering the official notices to the bereaved families, we will allow the names of the additional fallen soldiers to be published. We are aware that accounts on social media may publish names before official confirmation from the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. I am asking you, in this difficult time, to preserve the honor of the fallen and not to publish names until an official announcement is made on the matter. Please respect the bereaved families; our first commitment in the IDF is to them, and we will not deviate from this principle.
IDF troops are making progress in defeating the Hamas military wing, focusing on dismantling the Rafah Brigade's capabilities. The troops on the ground eliminate many terrorists every day in combat, destroy weapons, launchers, and rockets, thus preventing Hamas’s ability to return to action against the citizens of the State of Israel, as happened on October 7th. Today we received an additional painful reminder of the price of war and that behind the achievements of the war stand brave soldiers, heroes, who were willing to sacrifice their lives for the State of Israel, which is the common home for all of us—Jews, Druze, Bedouins, Muslims, and Christians—all citizens of Israel. Our hearts and thoughts are with the families at this difficult time.
A week ago, the IDF, the ISA, and the Israel Police ‘Yamam’ (National Counter-Terrorism Unit) carried out Operation ‘Arnon’; we returned home Noa, Shlomi, Andrey, and Almog. Tonight as well, we do not forget the one hundred and twenty hostages. Along with this significant achievement, we must honestly say that we will not be able to return everyone home in this way. We continue and will continue to act in every way to create the conditions for the return home of all the hostages as quickly as possible.
Tonight I would also like to address the residents of the north. On the northern border, we are managing combat in both defensive and offensive forms, while the main challenge remains the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes. This week we eliminated a senior Hezbollah official, Sami Taleb Abdullah, one of Hezbollah's central commanders in southern Lebanon, who for years led dozens of acts of terrorism and rocket fire against citizens of the State of Israel, including the rocket fire on the eve of the Shavuot holiday towards Kfar Blum. He was a real threat to the residents of the north, and therefore we eliminated him. This precise targeting is an expression of our determination to create a different security reality in the north, to change it so that the residents of the north can return to their homes safely.
In response to the elimination, Hezbollah fired and continues to fire rocket barrages and launch UAVs. We manage to intercept most of the threats, but the defense is not hermetic. We do everything to optimize and improve it all the time. As a result of some of the launches, and this being the season, fires have broken out in several locations. Forces of Israel Fire and Rescue Services, in cooperation with the IDF troops, arrive in all areas immediately to take control of the fires and prevent danger to life. Many residents were evacuated from their homes, and many more are paying a heavy price in their daily lives. Residents of the north, I know that alongside the unbearable reality that you experience, you show extraordinary resilience and strength. Your resilience strengthens all the soldiers on the northern border, including many reservists who spend nights and days in defense and offense.
We constantly assess the situation and make decisions with discretion and responsibility. We are determined and willing to do whatever it takes to change the security reality in the north, and we will not allow a return to what was before October 7th.
