Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari acknowledged that Israel will not succeed in freeing all those held by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip through military operations. Hagari said at a press conference, "Despite the significant achievement of freeing four hostages, we must say frankly: we will not be able to recover all the abductees in Gaza through military operations."
This statement may fuel calls to reach a deal with Hamas in order to establish a ceasefire and exchange hostages and prisoners. The spokesperson emphasized that "the army is doing everything possible to retrieve the hostages being held in the Gaza Strip."
In the same context, Hagari mentioned the death of a deputy company commander and seven soldiers from the engineering unit in a large explosion targeting a "Namer" armored vehicle in Rafah, southern Gaza. He added that the Israeli army is working on destroying the brigades located in Rafah to eliminate Hamas's capabilities.
Regarding the Lebanese Hezbollah front, the spokesperson confirmed that the army is working to return residents to their areas in the north and restore the situation to what it was before October 7, asserting that the residents "are paying a heavy price after being evacuated from their homes." He added that Israel "is dealing with Hezbollah's threats, intercepting its rockets and drones in the north." He also noted that the army and firefighting forces are working to contain the fires caused by Hezbollah's rockets in the north.
