Attached is the statement of the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi:

IDF: The Chief of the General Staff’s Statement From the Tel Nof Airbase: “We Will Bring the Residents Back to Their Homes Providing Them Security, and if Hezbollah Still Hasn’t Understood, It Will Receive Blow After Blow - Until It Understands.”

Attached are the full remarks of the Chief of the General Staff: “The IDF has recently raised its readiness to the highest level. Last Friday, we struck the chain of command of Hezbollah's elite force - the Radwan Force, and also their senior commander, Ibrahim Aqil, was eliminated. This was a very important capability in the Hezbollah terrorist organization, I know how much it shakes up the organization. For years these commanders had been making plans to conquer the Galilee, and they are responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians as well as soldiers over the years.
They were planning how to execute the next attack, and it is possible that they were working on that very plan in the meeting on Friday afternoon - working on how to infiltrate the State of Israel, murder civilians, kidnap IDF soldiers - we preempted them. It happened through very good capabilities of the IDF, both in intelligence and in offensive capabilities. The IDF's strike on Hezbollah's chain of command is a clear message to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, it harms them greatly, and it is also a message to the entire Middle East and beyond it - we will know how to reach anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel.This is not our first significant strike on the Radwan force, Hezbollah's special raid force. Since the start of the war, we have been striking and destroying the capabilities and infrastructure of this force using various methods and tactics, constantly taking initiative and operating continuously. Since the beginning of the war, the IDF targeted Hezbollah systematically - day after day. For months, we have been weakening the capabilities Hezbollah has built up over decades, layer after layer, focusing on its launching and combat capabilities. We are pushing Hezbollah away from the border, which threatens Israeli citizens - those who live near the border and want to know that it will not be there longer. We have eliminated over 600 terrorists, dozens of whom were from Hezbollah's top military leadership. The price Hezbollah is paying is growing, and our strikes will intensify.
In recent days, we have struck hundreds of terror targets in Lebanon. This morning, Hezbollah once again fired toward the north. This is fire directed at civilians, and no sovereign country can allow such a threat to its citizens and its sovereignty. Hezbollah places its launchers near Lebanese civilians, thereby endangering them - we will do whatever is necessary to remove and thwart threats toward the State of Israel.We will bring the residents back to their homes providing them with security, and if Hezbollah still hasn’t understood, it will receive blow after blow - until that organization understands.
We have, it must be said, many more capabilities that we are yet to deploy, we are in a very high state of readiness both in offense and in defense. We are well prepared for the next stages and are planning them properly for the coming days.Tonight, I want to turn to the residents of the north, I remember well that for nearly a year you have been away from your homes - I want you to know - the IDF is working around the clock, with many troops, to ensure you return to your homes safely. We will not compromise on your security, your families’ security, the security of your children. We are doing this hand in hand with the heads of the local authorities, the heads of the local councils, who are showing exceptional leadership in these complex times and who worthy of high appreciation from us all.
To the residents on the home front - you must continue to act responsibly as you have done throughout the war, as many did this morning in the north with the barrages fired at northern Israel. We are