Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the nation would be victorious in the war against its enemies in remarks made just before the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Gaza against Hamas.
On October 7, 2023, the terrorist group launched a surprise attack on Israel, murdering scores of Israeli civilians. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been engaged in a military effort to eradicate the terrorist group.
Recently, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon, became a larger player in the war after Israel launched an attack to prevent a planned October 7-style assault.
While addressing IDF troops, Netanyahu vowed that Israel “will win” its war against Hamas and Hezbollah. “A year ago, we suffered a terrible blow. Over the past 12 months, we have completely transformed reality,” Netanyahu told troops, according to his office.
The prime minister said the “whole world admires the blows you are delivering to our enemies, and I salute you.”
Netanyahu’s comments come during a time of heightened tension as Israel braces for possible terrorist attacks on the anniversary. Israel’s military has launched several operations to disrupt Hamas and Hezbollah as almost 100 Israeli hostages still remain in captivity in Gaza — although many are presumed dead.
The IDF recently focused on Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching ground operations after a barrage of missile strikes to destroy the terrorist group’s weapons caches and terror cells. “Our soldiers entered Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure; exposed Hezbollah’s hidden weapons caches and seized and destroyed the weapons,” said Israeli spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
The raids are part of a broader effort to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out further attacks against Israel. Earlier this month, Iran launched a missile strike on Israel.
Tuesday morning began with reports that the White House believed a missile attack from Iran on Israel was “imminent.” Shortly thereafter, the attack materialized, with Iran raining ballistic missiles down on Israel, which, fortunately, was able to repel the attack using its David’s Sling system. There was also a terror attack in Tel Aviv.
While reactions to the missile attack — both from the Biden administration and abroad — have been ongoing, one thing is abundantly clear from the statements issued by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: They’re not playing.
After Ohana hinted at “the end” for Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, Netanyahu let it be known that there would be a steep price to pay for Iran’s attacks.
Meanwhile, Hamas commemorated the anniversary by launching rockets into Tel Aviv, forcing Israeli civilians into bomb shelters, according to The Wall Street Journal. The attacks have become less frequent in recent months, likely because of the IDF’s continued efforts to eradicate the organization. Still, the Israeli military has resumed operations in northern Gaza to target Hamas militants who have resurfaced in the region.
The war has taken a significant toll on civilians. Much of this is due to Hamas exploiting Palestinian noncombatants as human shields, placing its operatives and weapons in areas densely populated by civilians. It’s a tactic the terrorist group has employed since its inception in order to either deter Israeli attacks or use civilian casualties as PR weapons against the Jewish state.
As the conflict rages on, international forces have continued pressuring Israel for a ceasefire, essentially demanding the IDF stop its efforts to remove threats from the region. The Biden-Harris administration has tried to walk a fine line between supporting Israel’s right to defend itself while also trying to persuade its leadership to curtail its military activities in Gaza.
