IDF Spokesman on the Paratroopers: We Made a Mistake and We will Correct it

IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari made a statement to the media this evening (Tuesday) during which he referred to the leaks from within the cabinet and said that "a quote from the cabinet is an injury to the strength of the State of Israel."

First, Hagari referred to the stages in which the IDF is in the ground maneuver "We are going deeper into the fighting in the centers of gravity of Hamas. The IDF located 1,500 Hamas tunnels and shafts. Dismantling the center of gravity of the Hamas underground is a significant step in the dismantling of Hamas. The IDF invests intelligence forces in locating live hostages. The forces in the field are also instructed on how to return abductees.

"Today we published special documentation of the Shaldag unit fighting in the heart of the Gaza Strip. This is an area with a network of terrorist infrastructure above and below the ground. The forces are deepening the area of operation in the area. In southern Gaza, in the Khan Yunis area, we are intensifying our operation. We have added an entire brigade to improve the engineering capacity. It is required to dismantle Hamas and it will take as long as it takes."

Hagari on the release of the paratroopers (Liran Vainshtain/Srugim)

To a question about the delay in releasing the paratroopers to freshen up when a release planned for the fighters was canceled, the IDF spokesman replied, "We made a mistake, and we need to correct it. On the other hand, we are in the middle of a war and there are operational constraints, the main of which is the security of our fighters. There was a message from Southern Command that the paratroopers went out to freshen up, but again I say this subject to the operational conditions. We will try to ensure that the fighters get what they need, including the strength and energy from home."