Israeli PM Netanyahu goes inside Gaza for unprecedented visit with IDF troops
'We are continuing until the end – until victory,' Israeli prime minister says
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an unprecedented step, visited Israeli soldiers inside the Gaza Strip on Sunday, receiving security briefings and visiting one of the terror tunnels.
His visit came during the four-day pause in fighting, part of the agreement for Hamas to release Israeli hostages.
“We are here in the Gaza Strip with our heroic soldiers,” Netanyahu said.
“We are making every effort to return our hostages, and in the end, we will return them all. We have three goals in this war: Eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages, and ensure that Gaza will not go back to being a threat to the State of Israel.”
These comments came just hours before the third group of Israeli hostages was released on this third day of the ceasefire.
“I am here to tell the soldiers, who all tell me the same thing, and I repeat it to you, citizens of Israel: We are continuing until the end – until victory. Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the force, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all of our goals for the war, and this is what we will do,” Netanyahu added.
“I sat with the IDF Deputy Chief of Staff and the commanders. On the wall it was written: ‘Am Israel Chai’ [The People of Israel Live]. Then Am Yisrael Chai and the people of Israel will also win thanks to you. Thank you,” the prime minister concluded.
Netanyahu’s visit with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip is the latest in a number of visits by high-ranking security officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who landed on Gaza’s beaches with an IDF naval force on Saturday.
While speaking with the troops, Gallant stressed that the fighting would continue until all hostages were returned to Israel.
“We will not leave Gaza until all the captives are returned. We will seize the opportunity to bring additional captives; every exchange negotiation will be under fire,” Gallant said.
The prime minister was accompanied by his Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Military Secretary Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil and the IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
