Remarks by Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Ceremony for IDF Soldiers who Fell in Operation Protective Edge

By BJLife Israel Newsroom
Posted on 07/16/24

Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks today (Tuesday, 16 July 2024), at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, at the state memorial ceremony for IDF soldiers who fell in Operation Protective Edge [translated from Hebrew]:

"The operational logic of Operation Protective Edge was a product of the conditions of the unique strategic reality at that time. We conducted a double campaign to strike Hamas, both militarily and diplomatically, and this is what we are vigorously doing today, on a far greater scale, and we are determined on a decisive outcome.

The monstrous massacre on October 7 reshuffled the deck. It requires a very different operative concept that takes into account Iran's efforts to strangle us in a chokehold on seven fronts.

Today more than ever, we are in the midst of an enormous campaign for our very existence. On one side is the fanatic Iranian regime which threatens to destroy us, as a step toward taking over the Middle East, from where it will be able to threaten the entire world. On the other side is the democratic and free Israel that is determined to defend its home.

We have no intention of losing this confrontation. We will continue to rebuff the efforts to harm us by Iran and its proxies. We will continue to strike – with uncompromising force – those who rise up to destroy us. We will settle accounts with all those who are carrying out this terrorist assault, down to the last of them. We will bring down Hamas's regime of evil. We will thwart every future threat to the State of Israel from Gaza. We will return home all of our hostages.

Hamas is under pressure, which is increasing because we are striking it. We are targeting its senior commanders and eliminating thousands of terrorists. It is under pressure because we are standing steadfast on our just demands despite all the pressure.

This is exactly the time to increase the pressure even more in order to return home all of the hostages, the living and the deceased, and to achieve all of our objectives in the war.

We will increase the pressure on Hamas and we will return everybody: The hostages of October 7, as well as Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, and Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed."