Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari admitted on Saturday that Israel will not succeed in freeing all hostages held by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip through military operations.
In a press conference, Hagari stated: “Despite the significant achievement of freeing four of the hostages, we must frankly say: we will not be able to retrieve all the abductees in Gaza through military operations.”
This admission may fuel calls for a deal with Hamas, aiming for a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The spokesman emphasized that “the army is doing its utmost to recover the hostages held in the Gaza Strip.”
In the same context, Hagari reported the death of a deputy company commander and seven soldiers from the engineering unit in a massive explosion targeting a “Namer” armored vehicle in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
He added that the Israeli army is working to destroy the battalions in Rafah to eliminate Hamas’s capabilities.
Regarding the Lebanese Hezbollah front, the spokesman confirmed that the army is working to return residents to their northern areas and restore the situation to what it was before October 7, emphasizing that the residents “are paying a high price after being evacuated from their homes.”
He added that Israel “is dealing with Hezbollah’s threats, shooting down its rockets and drones in the north.”
He also pointed out that the army and firefighting forces are working to contain the fires caused by Hezbollah’s rockets in the north.
