IDF: The Chief of the General Staff with IDF Troops Operating in Rafah on Israeli Independence Day: We’re Determined, We Won’t Let Hamas Rebuild

Yesterday (Tuesday), on Israeli Independence Day, the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, held a situational assessment in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, along with the commanding officers of the 162nd Division, Commanding Officer of the Southern Command, MG Yaron Finkelman, Commanding Officer of the 162nd Division, BG Itzik Cohen and additional commanders.

Attached is a video from the Chief of the General Staff’s statement: https://bit.ly/3V11jl7

Attached is a related video: https://bit.ly/3UYVLHL

Attached are related photos: https://idfanc.activetrail.biz/ANC1505395

Attached are the full remarks of the Chief of the General Staff:

"We are currently in the process of increasing the pressure in Gaza. We are striking widely and strongly in the north of the Gaza Strip in Jabaliya. And once again we see there attempts [by Hamas] to hold on and rebuild, therefore we need to deal with this again, and prove that we will return each time. We’re stubborn, we won’t let Hamas rebuild itself and they will pay a price. In my opinion, in the last day or two, the number of terrorists eliminated per day has increased, which is important, and we want to return to eliminating many terrorists each day. Memorial Day was very, very meaningful, with many newly bereaved families. We act with great responsibility, you feel it here. I say to you that it is incredibly powerful to mark it here. Today, the State of Israel celebrates, marks Independence Day. You are making our independence. We are making our independence. I told the brigades’ commanding officers that I met the recipients of the President’s Award for Outstanding Soldiers. I had a varied day. Families of hostages, bereaved families, injured soldiers in Tel Hashomer, and then I came here to meet you. Now we will go out and decide in order to make our independence. Because the citizens also want to see that we are fighting hard and making an impact. When I was at Tel Hashomer, a helicopter arrived with four wounded soldiers, I think it was from an explosive if i synchronize the timings. We saw them debarking and I saw the injured soldiers look out the window on the helipad and say we’re still powerful, we’re out of action, but we’re still here. One of them told me “I will recover, rehabilitate and go to the officers course. We have power going forward.'

IDF: Footage of Lifesaving IDF Evacuation Missions from the Last Week

IDF rescue helicopter squadrons, Medical Corps teams in the Technological and Logistics Directorate, and Unit 669 have carried out dozens of evacuations of injured soldiers from areas of operations in the Gaza Strip over the past week, while providing advanced and life-saving medical treatment. The evacuations are carried out under fire from inside and in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip. On average, it takes an hour from the moment of injury until arrival at the hospital.

Thousands of evacuations by air and by vehicle have been carried out since the beginning of the war. The medical teams on the ground and in helicopters are trained to perform complex and life-saving operations under fire and while airborne.

Attached is footage from evacuations of injured soldiers in the past week: https://bit.ly/4bDRZZT

IDF: Throughout the day, numerous launches were fired toward several locations in northern Israel. The IDF struck the sources of the fire.

A short while ago, IAF fighter jets struck the Hezbollah launch post from which the launches toward the area of Meron were fired earlier today.

Moreover, IAF fighter jets struck earlier today a military compound belonging to Hezbollah's Radwan Forces in the area of Jabal Rezlane, as well as a Hezbollah military compound in the area of Blida in southern Lebanon.

Attached is a video of the strikes: https://bit.ly/3K2e4FD

IDF: Sirens sounded in northern Israel.

IDF: Sirens sounded in Netu'a, northern Israel.

IDF: IDF troops began an operation against terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the area of Zeitoun in central Gaza

IDF and ISA forces, led by the 99th Division, began an operation in the area of Zeitoun in the central Gaza Strip in order to continue the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and elimination of terrorist operatives in the area.

The operation began with a series of intelligence-based aerial strikes on approximately 25 terror targets, including military structures, terror tunnels, observation posts, sniper posts, and additional terror infrastructure.

IDF ground troops are currently operating to secure the area of Zeitoun.

Attached is a video of the strikes: https://bit.ly/4bcCjNw

IDF: Our precise and targeted operation against Hamas in the Shifa Hospital is still underway.

We can confirm that incubators, baby food and medical supplies brought by IDF tanks from Israel have successfully reached the Shifa hospital.
Our medical teams and Arabic speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need.

Attached are pictures of the medical supplies and baby food prior to their transfer to the Shifa hospital: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC151120239285744

IDF: Attached is a link of the IDF website, where further updates on the fallen soldiers have been published: https://www.idf.il/59780

IDF: Based on intelligence information and an operational necessity, IDF forces are carrying out a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa Hospital.

The IDF is conducting a ground operation in Gaza to defeat Hamas and rescue our hostages. Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the civilians in Gaza.

The IDF forces include medical teams and Arabic speakers, who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians being used by Hamas as human shields. In recent weeks, the IDF has publicly warned time and again that Hamas' continued military use of the Shifa hospital jeopardizes its protected status under international law, and enabled ample time to stop this unlawful abuse of the hospital. Yesterday, the IDF conveyed to the relevant authorities in Gaza once again that all military activities within the hospital must cease within 12 hours. Unfortunately, it did not.

The IDF has also facilitated wide-scale evacuations of the hospital and maintained regular dialogue with hospital authorities.

We call upon all Hamas terrorists present in the hospital to surrender.

Please find attached the following IDF announcement regarding the conclusion of the Command Examination following the attempted attack during which a Palestinian toddler was unintentionally killed and another Palestinian was injured by IDF soldiers: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC1406202304827653