”Hamas terrorists are waging war while embedding themselves inside and under civilian areas in Rafah — Because Hamas wants Gazan civilians to be caught in the crossfire. We don’t," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a speech on Thursday.
We’re protecting Gazan civilians in Rafah from being a layer of protection for Hamas by encouraging them to temporarily evacuate to humanitarian areas like we’ve done with around 1 million civilians in Rafah until now who have moved out of harm’s way,” Hagari stated.
"Hamas is in Rafah, Hamas has been holding our hostages in Rafah, which is why our forces are maneuvering in Rafah. We’re doing this in a targeted and precise way," he said.
Hagari concluded by saying that the IDF is fighting for the freedom of the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. "We have a moral duty to bring all our hostages home. Every decent country in the world would do the same," he added.