The IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced that the 98th Division completed a divisional operation above and below ground in eastern Deir al-Balah and eastern Bureij. The soldiers located weapons, eliminated approximately 100 terrorists, and targeted more than 100 terrorist structures. The soldiers destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites and launch areas situated near communities in southern Israel.
In rapid, intelligence-based operations, the 7th Brigade, the Kfir Brigade and soldiers of the Yahalom Unit located several tunnel shafts. Yahalom soldiers scanned and destroyed the two tunnels, which were each one kilometer in length and contained rooms and weapons, and destroyed over two kilometers of the attack tunnels.
Soldiers of the 98th Division, including the Paratroopers Brigade, the Kfir Brigade, the 7th Brigade and Yahalom soldiers, carried out a variety of operations that contributed to the success of Operation ‘Arnon,’ the operation in which four hostages were rescued on Saturday. The Paratroopers Brigade carried out an operation to rescue the hostages, the Yamam and ISA forces from the vehicles, following the rescue of the hostages from Hamas in a bold operation.
The Commanding Officer of the 98th Division, BG Dan Goldfus gave a speech to the soldiers of the Givati Reconnaissance Battalion and the Paratroopers Brigade after the operation: “Today, officers of the ‘Yamam’ (National Counter-Terrorism Unit), in cooperation with the operational unit of the ISA, rescued the four hostages alongside us."
"There are still 120 hostages in Gaza, and we won’t stop until we bring them home, that’s what we’re committed to do. We’re also committed to destroying the enemy on the other side, and dismantling its underground infrastructure and infrastructure above the ground. That’s what we’ve been doing for the past eight months, and we’ll keep on doing it, pushing forward. If I could hug every one of you, I would, I am proud of you,” Goldfus said.