Israeli prime minister pledges IDF will continue war in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated and all Israelis returned.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
Israel will strike hostile terrorists operating anywhere, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, in a veiled threat to the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah, and Hamas terrorists living in exile.
Speaking at the opening of the government’s weekly meeting Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated his pledge that the IDF will continue operating in the Gaza Strip until Hamas has been destroyed, and all Israeli captives returned.
“I have a clear message for our enemies: What happened on October 7 will not happen again,” Netanyahu said.
“This is the commitment of my government and this is the reason why our soldiers in the field are giving their lives. Our commanders and soldiers, conscripts and reservists, in the north and the south, repeat one thing: ‘We are not coming back – until we carry out [the mission]’ and I say: ‘We are not stopping – until victory.'”
“The war must not be stopped until we achieve all of its goals: Eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel. I say this to both our enemies and our friends. This is our responsibility and this is our commitment.”
Netanyahu also hinted at the possible expansion of the simmering conflict on Israel’s northern border, warning Hezbollah that Israel is prepared to launch a broad counter-terror operation in southern Lebanon if the Iranian-backed terror group escalates tensions.
“Every other consideration must be set aside, and we must continue until total victory. This victory will be achieved only when we complete our goals and when we restore security to residents of the north and south alike.”
“I suggest that Hezbollah learn what Hamas has already learned in recent months: No terrorist is immune,” Netanyahu said, just days after Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri – who had been hosted in Beirut – was killed in an airstrike last week attributed to the IDF.
“We are determined to defend our citizens and to return the residents of the north safely to their homes. This is a national goal that we all share and which we are all working to achieve responsibly. If we can, we will do so diplomatically, and if not, we will work in other ways.”