Good night. Tonight, first of all, I would like to address the difficult incident last night with the beginning of the holiday. During an operation involving a Golani unit in southern Lebanon, five IDF soldiers were killed: Major Ofek Bakr, Captain Elad Siman Tov, First Sergeant Eliashiv Eitan Vider, First Sergeant Yehuda Dror Yahlom, and First Sergeant Yaakov Hillel. They fell during encounters with Hezbollah terrorists. Five other soldiers were injured.

The Golani unit had entered a multi-story building to search for terrorist infrastructure, based on precise intelligence. During the operation, the unit encountered terrorists, leading to a battle in which the IDF forces neutralized the threats. The unit successfully captured a village held by Hezbollah, killing multiple terrorists, while others surrendered.

We offer condolences to the families of the fallen and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. These brave fighters acted with courage, paying the ultimate price in the defense of Israel.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, IDF and Shebak forces successfully eliminated Yahya Sinwar, a key Hamas leader responsible for orchestrating major attacks. Following months of intelligence work, our forces located and neutralized Sinwar, who had been hiding in underground spaces. Despite Sinwar’s efforts to evade capture, he was found and eliminated, marking a significant achievement in our broader campaign against Hamas.

We remain focused on ensuring the security of Israel, conducting operations across Lebanon, Gaza, and Judea and Samaria. Our forces continue to operate with determination, using precise tactics to disrupt terrorist networks.

Questions & Answers

Network B: Is Muhammad Sinwar, Yahya Sinwar’s brother, now the top target in Gaza?

• We are closely monitoring all key Hamas figures, including Muhammad Sinwar. Our efforts will continue to target those responsible for past attacks.

Yel Chechanover, Vedic Aharonot: Was Yahya Sinwar trying to escape Gaza, and how did we track him?

• Sinwar was discovered in an underground space near previous incident sites. We tracked his movements and coordinated a successful operation to neutralize him, preventing his escape attempts.

Audi David Ben David, Radio South: Regarding the “Island Champions” program, is the IDF using it to secure hostage release?

• There is no such program in use. We operate strictly according to military plans, upholding international law, and remain committed to these principles throughout our operations in Gaza.

We continue our mission to ensure regional security, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and strive for the safe return of all captives.