00:00Good afternoon, everyone. Shalom. I'm Shosh Bedrosian,
00:07Communications Specialist for the National Public Diplomacy Directorate.
00:11I'll take a few questions after a couple of very brief points to share with you.
00:15Make sure you put your questions in the chat of the Zoom with your name and your outlet.
00:20Today is Sunday, November 23rd, and a short while ago the IDF attacked the Hezbollah Chief of Staff
00:27in the heart of Beirut, who led the strengthening and arming of the terrorist organization.
00:32Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the attack upon the recommendation of the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of Staff.
00:40Israel is determined to act and achieve its goals anywhere and at all times.
00:45As Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon,
00:49Prime Minister Netanyahu said this morning at the government meeting
00:53that Israel will continue to do everything necessary to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its capacity to threaten us.
01:01Israel continues to insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon,
01:07while taking steps to ensure our security.
01:11We will not allow Hezbollah, the terror organization, to recover and rebuild its strength
01:17and threaten Israel from anywhere inside of Lebanon.
01:21The terror organization's activities continue to constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
01:30Next, today marks day 779 since Hamas first launched its brutal war on Israel.
01:38It also marks day 41 since our released living hostages returned home to their families
01:44and when the bodies of our deceased hostages started to be retrieved.
01:49The first time Hamas violated the ceasefire plan was almost 41 days ago,
01:55when they decided not to return all 48 of our hostages, including all of our deceased hostages,
02:02as we still have three of them in captivity right now.
02:06Ever since that day, the terror group has repeatedly violated the agreement,
02:11from not returning all of our hostages, to attacking our soldiers
02:15and killing three of them in the Gaza Strip under this plan,
02:19to crossing the IDF's yellow line, posing an immediate threat to our soldiers,
02:24to stealing humanitarian aid and brutalizing their own people inside of the Gaza Strip.
02:30This is Hamas, the terror organization who said they were committed to this plan,
02:35has continued to prove otherwise.
02:38This underscores the importance of why Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized,
02:44as outlined in the 20-point plan.
02:47Now, violations by Hamas continued throughout the weekend.
02:51On Friday, 15 terrorists emerged from a tunnel at two different locations in eastern Rafa,
02:57where our IDF forces were operating to dismantle remaining underground terror infrastructure there.
03:04Now, at that time on Friday, the IDF apprehended five of the terrorists,
03:08and eliminated six of them.
03:10After 24 hours of locating the remaining terrorists that emerged from that tunnel,
03:16who were hiding out in Rafa,
03:18all 17 terrorists who attempted to flee the underground terror infrastructure were accounted for,
03:25with 11 terrorists eliminated and six terrorists apprehended and transferred for further questioning.
03:31Now, on Saturday, an armed terrorist crossed into the IDF's yellow line with a vehicle
03:37and situated himself on a humanitarian road where aid enters southern Gaza.
03:43The terrorist started firing at IDF soldiers deployed in the nearby area.
03:48The incident was caught on an IDF drone and can be seen as clear as day.
03:54A terrorist with a hoodie on is located on this humanitarian road outside of a parked vehicle,
04:00and he begins shooting in the direction of where our soldiers are located.
04:05Soon after, the soldiers eliminated that terrorist.
04:08This is an example of a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,
04:13and in response, the IDF began striking Hamas terror targets inside of Gaza.
04:18Now, as a result, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists,
04:23including the head of supply in Hamas's production headquarters.
04:27This person was a central source of knowledge in the organization's supply and production systems.
04:33Now, during the war, he also operated to transfer weapons from Hamas's headquarters
04:38to battalion and field commanders for use against IDF forces.
04:42Israel will not accept violations by Hamas under the ceasefire framework,
04:48and our IDF forces will continue to remain deployed in the Gaza Strip in accordance with the agreement.
04:55Israel will not rest until all of our hostages are home, the remaining three hostages,
05:01as they should be returned home for proper burial by now.
05:06The mediating countries must insist on the full execution of the framework
05:10and hold Hamas to its commitments to return all of our hostages.
05:16As the Prime Minister said at the beginning of the government meeting this morning,
05:20since the ceasefire started, Hamas has not stopped violating the ceasefire,
05:25and Israel is responding accordingly.
05:28After these repeated violations, Israel thwarted these attempts to harm our soldiers with great force.
05:34Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it abundantly clear.
05:38Israel operates without depending on anyone,
05:41and immediate actions to thwart attacks are carried out automatically by the IDF.
05:46Israel decided without dependence on any external party on how to defend itself,
05:52remove threats, and repel attacks.
05:54Israel is responsible for its own security,
05:57and the Prime Minister says it is of utmost importance for Israel to secure all of its borders,
06:03and that's why Israel is continuing to strike terrorism on several fronts.
06:08I'll now take a few questions.
06:15Okay.
06:16So the first question, Pesha from Reuters.
06:20Number one.
06:21There was an Israeli strike on Beirut today.
06:23What was the name of the target?
06:24Should we expect further strikes on the city?
06:27Does this mean the ceasefire is over?
06:29Does Israel plan to launch a renewed offensive on Lebanon, and to what extent?
06:34Now, as the Prime Minister said this morning, we will continue to do everything necessary to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its ability to threaten us,
06:43and he meant it when he said that.
06:45Hezbollah will not be allowed to rearm and operate inside of Lebanon,
06:50and we expect Lebanon to hold Hezbollah's feet to the fire on this.
06:55Prime Minister Netanyahu also made it clear, like I mentioned in the briefing,
06:59Israel operates without depending on anyone,
07:02and immediate actions to thwart attacks are taken by the IDF automatically.
07:07The State of Israel continues to insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon,
07:13while taking steps to ensure our security as well.
07:16We will not allow Hezbollah, the terrorist organization, to recover, rebuild its strength, and threaten Israel from anywhere inside of Lebanon.
07:25Hezbollah's terrorist activities constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,
07:31and the IDF will continue to operate to remove any threats to the citizens of Israel, our security forces, and our soldiers.
07:39Your second question, Minister Amihay Shikli wrote on X today that he asked the Prime Minister in today's Cabinet meeting
07:48to expel Turkish diplomats, close the Turkish – close the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem and the embassy,
07:55and ban the Turkish development – excuse me – known as T-I-K-A.
08:05What is the Israeli government's position on this? I have nothing to share on that right now.
08:09In a statement – in a recent statement, you said that despite U.S. plans to sell F-35's jet to Saudi Arabia,
08:16Israel was confident it would maintain its qualitative military edge.
08:20How do you expect it to maintain that edge?
08:22Are there talks with the U.S. about Israel obtaining other advanced equipment when it comes to this?
08:27So the Prime Minister actually had an interview on Thursday, and I point you back to that, where he discusses this as well.
08:35Joel Pollack from California Post.
08:39Is the ceasefire likely to hold?
08:41And what is Israel's reaction to the revelation that many of the most anti-Israel accounts on X,
08:46purporting to be within the MAGA movement, are not in fact based in the United States,
08:50but are based abroad, often in Muslim countries?
08:52The ceasefire is in place right now, and Israel is working to enforce it.
08:57We've been working to enforce it at all times.
08:59We have been upholding our side of the agreement since it was first established more than 40 days ago at this point.
09:06But let's remember, Hamas continues to violate it.
09:10They violated it nearly on the first day by not returning all 48 of our hostages at one time.
09:16Not only that, they've been brutalizing and torturing their own people inside of the Gaza Strip.
09:21They've been attacking our soldiers as well.
09:23Israel will do everything to enforce this ceasefire agreement.
09:27We will uphold our side.
09:28It is expected that Hamas upholds their side.
09:32This is a plan that they committed to.
09:38Isaac from the Associated Press.
09:40Can you please confirm the targeted person in Beirut?
09:43The statement that I read in the briefing is what I can share with you right now.
09:48Leor Soroka, The Washington Post.
09:50Did Israel inform the United States in advance of today's strike in Lebanon?
09:55What I can share with you on that is that Israel makes decisions independently,
09:59and we do that to our citizens, our soldiers, our security forces.
10:03And in terms of Lebanon, I just read you a statement inside of our briefing
10:07in addition to the other information I provided you with today's strike.
10:14Sassan from NPR.
10:16We know that the Israeli military and Kogat are coordinating with the U.S. at the newly established CMCC.
10:21There have been reports that the U.S. is trying to take the lead on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
10:27Is that true?
10:29I have nothing to add on that right now.
10:31But for updated numbers on humanitarian aid going inside of the Gaza Strip,
10:35you can reach out to Kogat.
10:36They share updated information on X throughout the week.
10:42David Isaac from JNS.
10:44The United States is reportedly planning to build Gazan communities on the Israeli side of the yellow line in the Gaza Strip.
10:50Is that something the Prime Minister endorses?
10:52And if so, what are the benefits from the Israeli perspective,
10:55allowing Gazans to establish themselves closer to the Israeli side?
10:58I don't have anything to share with that right now.
11:01Jody Cohen for Newsmax.
11:02Netanyahu said Israel is determined to achieve its military goals.
11:05Does this mean the ceasefires are on hold for now?
11:09The ceasefire is currently in place.
11:12We have made it clear, and as outlined in this 20-point plan,
11:16Hamas will be disarmed, Gaza will be demilitarized,
11:19and there will be no future of Hamas inside of the Gaza Strip with the ability to govern their own people.
11:26We are committed to all steps of that.
11:28That's clearly outlined inside of the 20-point plan.
11:31Matthew Duran from ABC Australia.
11:36How does the strike on the Hezbollah chief of staff not amount to a breach of the ceasefire by Israel,
11:41given the location of the strike being Beirut, far from the area south of the Litany River,
11:46which is where Hezbollah is meant to disarm and withdraw from?
11:50Matt, I point you back to what I shared specifically on this strike.
11:54Joel Pollack from California Post.
11:56What is Israel's response to allegations of sexual assault by a Hamas terrorist against male hostages?
12:03The testimony that is coming out by our male hostages is critical to hear.
12:09I have seen a lack of reporting by news outlets across the world on what our male hostages have gone through,
12:16what our female hostages have gone through as well.
12:19But recently, of course, these testimonies are horrific to hear.
12:23Our hostages went through absolute hell inside of captivity.
12:27And we will make sure that their stories are not only heard, that they are told, that they are remembered.
12:33Even when media organizations don't want to discuss the abuse that our hostages went through,
12:38we will ensure that their stories get out there.
12:41But it is absolutely horrific to know what these men had to go through for nearly two years.
12:48This just speaks to who Hamas is.
12:50This is a disgusting terror organization.
12:53They brutalize their own people as well.
12:56And this should not be overlooked by the media.
12:59This is the truth.
13:00This is the fact of who Hamas is.
13:02And our hostages are continuously telling their courageous stories, bringing their own courage to their platform, to their own stage,
13:11making sure that people know their story.
13:13And I expect media organizations to tell their stories as well.
13:19Thank you for that question, Joel.
13:21Okay, those are all the questions I see right now.
13:25Everyone, thanks so much for your time.
13:27Please reach out to us if you have additional questions.
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