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PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Start of the Government Meeting

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government
07.04.2024

Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks , today , at the start of the Government meeting:

"Today we are marking six months of the war. The achievements of the war are considerable: We have eliminated 19 of Hamas's 24 battalions, including senior commanders. We have killed, wounded or captured a large number of Hamas terrorists. We have cleared out Shifa and other terrorist command centers as well. We have destroyed factories for producing rockets, command centers, and stores of weapons and ammunition, and we are continuing to systematically destroy underground installations. However, the price that we have had to pay has been painful and high.

In the past day, four of our heroic fighters have fallen in Khan Yunis: Cpt. Ido Baruch, Sgt. Amitai Even Shoshan, Sgt. Reef Harush and Sgt. Ilai Zair. On behalf of myself and the citizens of Israel, I send heartfelt condolences to their families and to all the families that have lost loved ones in this difficult war.

On October 7, Hamas launched a murderous attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We will never forget the horrific crimes of the Hamas monsters, who still hold hostage 133 of our brothers and sisters. As of today, we have returned 124 hostages and we are committed to returning them all home.

I have made it clear to the international community: There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. It simply will not happen. This is the policy of the Government of Israel and I welcome the fact that the Biden administration made it clear on Friday that this still its position as well.

I would like to clarify something else: It is not Israel that is preventing a deal. Hamas is preventing a deal. Its extreme demands are designed to bring about a ceasefire and leave it intact, to ensure its survival, existence and ability to endanger our citizens and soldiers. Capitulation to Hamas's demands would allow it to try and repeat the crimes of October 7 again and again, as it has promised to do.

Hamas hopes that external and internal pressure will cause Israel to capitulate to these extreme demands. That will not happen. Israel is prepared for a deal; Israel is not prepared to surrender. Instead of the international pressure being directed at Israel, which is only causing Hamas to harden its positions, the pressure of the international community needs to be directed at Hamas. This will advance the release of the hostages.

Citizens of Israel, there is no war more just than this one, and we are determined to achieve total victory, to return all of our hostages, to complete the elimination of Hamas in the entire Gaza Strip including Rafah and to ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel.

This war has shown the world what Israel has always known: It is Iran that stands behind its proxies' many attacks against us. Since October 7, we have been attacked on many fronts by Iran's proxies - Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria, as well as other attacks.

Whoever harms us or plans to harm us - we will harm them. We are carrying out this idea in practice, all the time, including recently, near and far, in our immediate surroundings and further afield. Israel is prepared - defensively and offensively - for any attempt to attack us, from anywhere.

Our war is ongoing. In the past 24 hours, four of our heroic soldiers have fallen in Khan Yunis. Our forces rescued the remains of Elad Katzir, who was murdered by Hamas. One of our UAVs was downed in Lebanon and our forces responded deep in Lebanon, in the Beka Valley, in Baalbek, 60 kilometers, 100 kilometers and even further. A short time ago, terrorists carried out a shooting attack against a bus in Samaria. Iran, Hezbollah and other proxies are intensifying their threats against Israel.

At this moment, as the war is ongoing, we must unite to repel the attacks against us. This is the time for unity. However, it is precisely at this time, that an extremist and violent minority is trying to drag the country into a rift. There is nothing our enemies want more. They are hoping that an internal rift and baseless hatred will stop us on the cusp of victory.

I will repeat to the Government what I told the Cabinet: Countries rise amidst unity and fall amidst rifts. Let our enemies not be mistaken: The decisive majority of the people is united on the need to continue fighting until victory. A majority of the people, myself included, condemns all displays of violence among us - disturbances and violations of the law, running over demonstrators or attacking police officers, and wild incitement to violence and murder on social media. We will stand united. We will strike our enemies. We will eliminate Hamas. We will free our hostages and with G-d's help, we will bring total victory."