Halevi on deaths of 21 soldiers: ‘We share in the grief of their families, the pain is too great to bear’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi issues a video statement on the deaths of 21 soldiers in a blast and building collapse in the central Gaza Strip yesterday

“We share in the grief of their families for the heavy loss, and know that the pain is too great to bear,” Halevi says.

“If this is any comfort, I would like the families to know, they fell in battle near the border fence, during a defense operation in the buffer zone between the Israeli communities and Gaza. This is a task whose entire purpose is to create the security conditions for the safe return of the residents of [the Gaza border communities] to their homes,” he says.

“To that end, we went to war, which began with a cruel attempt to stop life, and we are more determined than ever to bring life back here, even more strongly,” Halevi continues.

The chief of staff says he toured the scene of the incident, met with commanders, and was briefed on the initial investigation of the blast.

“We, as always, will investigate the incident in depth and learn the lessons while fighting, so that such an incident will not happen again,” Halevi says.

He warns that the fighting in Gaza will be long and have “many more challenges in store for us,” and therefore the IDF is switching out the forces for R&R.

“On this difficult day, it is important to say, we have been fighting for 108 days and we do not forget October 7, we do not forget why we went to war,” Halevi says.

He says the IDF over the past day has been “expanding the fighting in Khan Younis, gaining more achievements, and at the same time continuing to fight in the north of the Gaza Strip and deepening the achievement.”

“On this day we feel the great and painful cost of war, but the one we are fighting now is necessary and just like no other. We will continue to fight for our clear right to live here in safety,” Halevi adds.