The Commanding Officer of the 36th Division, Brigadier General Dado Bar Kalifa, delivered the following remarks to the soldiers under his command as they went to do battle against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza today (Thursday).
“Shkhakim stations, this is the commander. The day has arrived. We are taking the fate of our nation and people into our hands. This is our hour, and there is no one more fit than us. We will know how to fulfill every mission. We will fight until victory. Together we will stand strong in the face of every task and every hardship. We will not let victory slip from our hands. The objective is clear. We have an iron will. We are determined and believe in the righteousness of our way. I trust you. This is our war. Today it is our turn. We are here! Shkhakim stations, this is the commander. Attack! Attack! Out.”
Earlier, it was cleared for publication that the Commander of 188th Armoured Brigade's 53rd Battalion, Lt. Col. Salman Habaka, had fallen in battle against Hamas in Gaza.
Lt. Col. Habaka's heroism saved many lives in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, during the Hamas massacre which began the current war. He sent a force of six tanks to defend the communities of southern Isrel, two of which he brought with him to the defense of the Kibbutz. The Bithonistim movement said that Habaka's decision to disperse the tanks proved to be a bold and smart decision since his crews pushed back another wave of terrorists that broke through the Erez crossing and killed the terrorists at the border.
The IDF announced that in battles in the northern Gaza Strip, three soldiers were severely injured, and an additional soldier from the Caracal Battalion was injured in the Paran Brigade region.