From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 9, 2023
IDF vows to deepen ground op in Gaza City, pans PIJ hostage clip as ‘psychological terror’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says Israel will continue to deepen its ground operations in Gaza City.
“We will reach more and more Hamas strongholds,” Hagari vows.
Gazans using the humanitarian route to head south “see that Hamas has lost control” in northern Gaza, and the south is safer, he says.
Despite a relative decline in rocket barrages from Gaza at Israel, he urges the public not to be complacent.
Responding to claims by Hamas that dozens of IDF armored vehicles have been disabled, Hagari says they are at 90 percent competency, with the vehicles being repaired in the field or taken back to Israel for more serious repairs.
On a Palestinian Islamic Jihad video showing two Israeli hostages, Hagari says: “We have not missed and will not miss any opportunity to return the hostages.”
He says the claims by Islamic Jihad that two will be released is “psychological terrorism.”
