Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his government’s cabinet meeting in Sunday, the day that marked six months since the October 7 massacre enacted by Hamas terrorists, by listing Israel’s “considerable” achievements in Gaza since the war against Hamas began in the wake of the attack.
These achievements included eliminating 19 of Hamas’s 24 battalions, including senior commanders, killing, wounding or capturing a large number of Hamas terrorists as well as clearing out Shifa Hospital and other terrorist command centers.
“We have destroyed factories for producing rockets, command centres, and stores of weapons and ammunition, and we are continuing to systematically destroy underground installations,” they said, but acknowledged the price Israel had to pay “has been painful and high.”
This was in reference to the more than 600 Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the war.
Netanyahu reiterated that he “made it clear” to the international community: “There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages.”
The Prime Minister also refuted claims his government is not preventing a deal. Hamas is preventing a deal with its “extreme demands” he said “are designed to bring about a ceasefire and leave it intact, to ensure its survival, existence and ability to endanger our citizens and soldiers.”
“Whoever harms us or plans to harm us – we will harm them,” added Netanyahu. “We are carrying out this idea in practice, all the time, including recently, near and far, in our immediate surroundings and further afield. Israel is prepared – defensively and offensively – for any attempt to attack us, from anywhere.”
He also said, “This is the time for unity,” however, “it is precisely at this time that an extremist and violent minority is trying to drag the country into a rift. There is nothing our enemies want more. They are hoping that an internal rift and baseless hatred will stop us on the cusp of victory.”
“We will stand united. We will strike our enemies. We will eliminate Hamas. We will free our hostages and with G-d’s help, we will bring total victory.”