Itongadol.- IDF chief Gantz: Israel will take all time needed to reach victory over Gaza terrorists; prime minister instructs IDF to broaden military campaign; says all other efforts to restore quiet were ignored.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appealed Tuesday night for the country to have patience, saying that the operation that began earlier in the day against Hamas “may take time.”
“From the perspective of the terrorist organizations, all of Israel is part of one front, and all Israeli citizens are targets,” he said in a recorded video statement. “Therefore we must stand together as one — united and sure of the justice of our cause. We are acting with determination and assertively to return the quiet, and we will continue to do so until the quiet is restored, so that our citizens and children can live in security.”
Saying Israel was in the midst of a campaign to return security to its citizens, Netanyahu said “we will not suffer the firing of rockets on our cities and communities, and therefore I directed a significant expansion of IDF action against Hamas terrorists and the terrorists from other organizations in Gaza.” .
Netanyahu said that he decided on this step only after all other efforts to restore the quiet were ignored, and Hamas opted for escalation.
“We are not eager for battle,” he said,”but the security of our citizens and children takes precedence over all else.”
He stressed that the IDF’s actions were aimed at Hamas, and not at innocent citizens. On the contrary, he said, Hamas is intentionally hiding behind Palestinian civilians, and will be responsible if they are accidentally harmed.