Benjamin Netanyahu in northern Gaza: We're fighting here for our existence, for our future

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the front line in northern Gaza today (Tuesday) to reaffirm and reassert Israeli war aims.

The two met with IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, Commander of the Southern Command Major General Yaniv Asur, and division and brigade commanders, receiving a security briefing from commanders in the sector regarding the IDF's intensive operations to free the hostages and defeat Hamas in Gaza.

Afterward, according to an official statement, the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister held discussions with division commanders, brigade commanders, battalion commanders, and with both reserve and regular soldiers, emphasizing the importance of maintaining military pressure on the Hamas terrorist organization.

The tour was accompanied by Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, the Prime Minister's Military Secretary Major General Roman Gofman, and the Prime Minister's Spokesperson, Dr. Omer Dostri.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "I am here with the Defense Minister, IDF commanders, and our soldiers in the regular army, and the wonderful reservists. They are doing excellent work here in the Gaza Strip. They are striking the enemy - and Hamas will suffer more and more blows.

"We insist that they release our hostages and we are committed to achieving all of our war objectives, and we are doing this thanks to our heroic fighters. They are simply doing wonderful work.

"I want to tell you what we are fighting for and why we are fighting: this is a post issued by the Iranian dictator, Ayatollah Khamenei, today, in which he explains why Israel must be destroyed. He does this during negotiations with the Americans.

We are fighting for our existence. We are fighting for our future."