Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “save our country” on Saturday in his first news conference since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack, presenting the war in Gaza as an existential fight against “barbarians” for survival. of the Jewish State.
“A State has two possibilities: to be or not to be,” he stated. “This is our test and we are going to win it… this is the mission of my life.”
“Our commanders and soldiers fighting in enemy territory know that the nation and the national leadership stand behind them,” he said, without outright declaring that Israeli ground forces had invaded.
His comments came as the Israel Defense Forces continued what they called “expanded ground activity” inside the Gaza Strip.
Israel is “willing to ensure that the murderers pay the price for the massacre,” Netanyahu promised, hours after holding his first meeting with the families of some of the 220 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“Our calls are very clear,” he said. “Destroy the military and government capacity of Hamas and return the victims to their homes.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “save” the country at a news conference in Tel Aviv on October 28, 2023. Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP
Among those attending Saturday night’s meeting were relatives of kidnapped children, ABC News reported.
“We are waging a war against barbarians,” Netanyahu said of Hamas. “We have to win… because it is our existence, but it is affecting the entire Western civilization.”
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel.
But he admitted that the October 7 terrorist attack was a “terrible failure” by Israel’s security and intelligence forces.
“There was a terrible failure,” Netanyahu said in response to a journalist’s question. “It will be investigated. “We are going to turn every stone.”
Israeli military vehicles heading towards the Gaza border on October 28, 2023.Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Smoke rising from buildings in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli airstrike on October 28, 2023.HANNIBAL HANSCHKE /EPA/Shutterstock Netanyahu with Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz at the conference at the Kirya military base.Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP
Israel, which sent troops to the Gaza Strip for the first time on Friday, has carried out extensive airstrikes against Hamas targets there over the past two weeks.
The Israeli military on Saturday reiterated its call for Palestinians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip amid Israel’s ongoing military operation.
“For their immediate safety, we urge all residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily move to the south,” said spokesman Daniel Hagari. “The imminent IDF operation is intended to neutralize the Hamas threat with precision and intensity.”
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