In a first since the war between Israel and Hamas began, the Israel Defence Forces have admitted failures that aided Hamas infiltration and attacks leading to mass killings on Saturday, as per sources.Notably, the death toll in Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7 has jumped to 1,300 with nearly 3,300 injured.While addressing the nation on Thursday, IDF chief Herzi Halevi from southern Israel said, “The IDF is responsible for the security of the country and its citizens, and on Saturday morning in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, we did not handle it. We will learn, we will investigate, but now is the time for war.”He said that IDF was fighting Hamas terrorists and would “dismantle their system.”Adding further, he said that “Yahya Sinwar, the ruler of the Gaza Strip, decided on this horrible attack, and therefore he and the entire system under him are dead men. We will attack them, we will dismantle them, dismantle their system.”“We are five days after a murderous brutal & shocking event the massacre by the murderous & animalistic Hamas terrorists, of our children, our women, our people is barbaric, it is not humane. The IDF is fighting ruthless terrorists who have committed acts that are beyond belief, in every place where there are people, in every place where humanity exists…,” he added.The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi addresses the nation. “The IDF is fighting ruthless terrorists who have committed acts that are beyond belief.” pic.twitter.com/UEyK72BSqa— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 12, 2023#WATCH | Israel: Chief of General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi says, We are five days after a murderous brutal & shocking event the massacre by the murderous & animalistic Hamas terrorists, of our children, our women, our people is barbaric, it is not humane. The IDF is fighting… pic.twitter.com/Gj08p9inws— ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2023Halevi also said they will investigate as how Hamas managed to carry out the attack. he also disclosed On an estimated 200 Israelis and foreigners held captive by the terror group in the Gaza Strip, Halevi says: “We will do everything to return the hostages back home.”“We are killing many terrorists, many commanders, destroying terror infrastructure that supported this terrible, brutal crime,” Halevi added.“Gaza will not look the same,” he said, as reported by The Times of Israel.Meanwhile, on the ongoing operation against Hamas, the IDF said, “The Flotilla 13 elite unit was deployed to the area surrounding the Gaza security fence in a joint effort to regain control of the Sufa military post on October 7.”The soldiers have rescued around 250 hostages alive, it said, adding that more than 60 Hamas terrorists were neutralised and 26 were apprehended, “including Muhammad Abu Aali the Deputy Commander of the Hamas Southern Naval Division”.
