IDF brass meet mayors in south, thank them for remaining ‘resilient’

Top IDF officers thank the heads of Israeli communities that were targeted the most by rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip over the past two days, lauding them for abiding by safety precautions and remaining “resilient” during the fighting.

The army says during the meeting with local mayors, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Gaza Division commander Brig. Gen. Eliezer Toledano updated the mayors on the current situational assessment, ongoing defensive operations and thanked them “for their close cooperation in general and for the past few days in particular.”

The commanders “noted their great appreciation for the responsible conduct of residents of the area in abiding by IDF Home Front Command instructions and the resilience that they displayed during the days of fighting,” the military says in a statement.

— Judah Ari Gross