Netanyahu addresses the nation at state ceremony on Oct 7

At the national ceremony to mark a year since the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the date will be “etched in the history of our nation as a day of grief and loss, of unimaginable agony.” 

He assured the nation: “The memory of our citizens who were killed in the terrorist attack, and the memory of all the fallen heroes from the IDF and security forces, will be cherished forever. On October 7th, we were all hurled into a critical battle, but we were not defeated. On the contrary, it is we who are acting to defeat and deter our enemies.” 

The prime minister's words were prerecorded in Ofakim, near Gaza, and broadcast, along with an address from President Isaac Herzog, immediately following the live civil ceremony held by the families of hostages and victims of the Hamas massacre.

Netanyahu spoke about the courage and resilience of the Israeli people in the wake of the attack by “Hamas monsters.”

“As we have often experienced in our history, it is in dark moments such as these that we exude our great inner power. We rallied together to defend our country, our homeland. We mustered immense mental strength,” he said.

“We outlined the goals of the war and we are achieving them: toppling the rule of Hamas; bringing all the hostages home, the living and the deceased alike – this is a sacred mission and we will not stop until we complete it; eliminating any future threat from Gaza to Israel; and returning the residents of the south and the north safely to their homes.” 

“We are doing this with solidarity unlike anything among the nations. When put to the test we proved, once again, that we are the Eternal People. A people that fights to bring light to this world, that aspires to spread good and eradicate evil. 'A people that rises like a lion – leaps up like a lion.'”

Vowing not to give up or stop fighting as long as the hostages are in Gaza, the prime minister said: “We will not forsake any of them. I will not give up. As long as our citizens have not returned to their homes safely, we will continue to fight. We will continue to fight, and united – we will win. And when we win, not only for our sake but for the sake of future generations and for all humanity, we will rebuild the Tekuma region even bigger. When we hold onto the roots, the tree of life will grow back.”

Addressing the citizens of Israel as his “dear brothers and sisters,” Netanyahu concluded his speech, which was broadcast on all major television stations in Israel.

“Together we will continue to fight. And together, with God’s help, we will win. Am Yisrael Chai!"