Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi issued a joint statement at the start of a situational assessment tonight (Monday) at the Kiryah in Tel Aviv.
"Working together as a crushing fist”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu opened: “I am here at a situational assessment with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. We are working together as a crushing fist towards one goal – to eliminate Hamas. We are giving each other backing, and we are giving backing to the Israel Defense Forces – to our soldiers, to our commanders.”
Netanyahu clarified regarding the essence of the decisions: “I ask, citizens of Israel, that you know something else. We are making the decisions here and in the war cabinet unanimously. We are doing so with great responsibility. We do so also with holy trembling.”
“All the soldiers are determined to carry out the missions”
After him, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “I have been in the past few days in visits and tours round the country. I meet the IDF soldiers in the north, in the south, on land, in the air, at sea. I meet reservists and regular army men. All these soldiers are very determined to carry out the missions, they are making a thorough and ongoing preparatory process, they are prepared for their missions.”
Gallant praised IDF commanders: “I note in particular the commanders, from the junior officers to the Chief of Staff, who are doing excellent work during the war and are prepared to continue it.”
He ended by congratulating the formation of the emergency government: “I welcome the formation of the war cabinet, I think it is a blessing for the State of Israel and the People of Israel. This is a message of unity both to us here in the country, and to our enemies towards difficult stages which we will yet expect during the war.”
“We see only one thing before us – the security of the State of Israel”
Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi sent a brief message: “We are conducting a war. I saw the forces in the field ready and waiting. We discuss complex issues here every evening. The political leadership and the IDF are conducting quality and on point discussions. We see only one thing before us – the security of the State of Israel.”