• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Excerpt from PM Netanyahu's Knesset Remarks

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Events and Speeches
The 37th Government
27.05.2024

Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Knesset remarks today:

"The repeated false claims that we are the obstacle are not only harmful to the families - that much is obvious, and I sympathize with them. But it goes beyond that: it delays the release of the hostages and undermines negotiations. Instead of focusing pressure on Sinwar, who holds the hostages in his dungeons, the pressure is misdirected at the Israeli government.

Israel is constantly asked to make concession after concession. So why would Sinwar feel any pressure? He sits in his bunker, rubbing his hands in satisfaction, delighted that others are doing the work for him.

The pressure should be directed at Hamas. We are taking action against them, fighting hard in the north, center, and south of the Gaza Strip.

In Rafah, we have evacuated about one million civilians. Tragically, despite our immense efforts to avoid harming non-combatants, an incident occurred yesterday. We are investigating it thoroughly and will learn from it, as is our policy and longstanding conduct.

For us, any non-combatant hurt is a tragedy; for Hamas, it is a strategy. That is the core difference.

The pressure, both international and domestic, on the Israeli government, which is doing everything possible to secure the hostages' release, only strengthens Sinwar's resolve, leading him to demand terms that would endanger Israel's very existence—terms we cannot accept.

Let me be clear: I will not yield or surrender. I will not end the war before achieving all our goals. Our fallen heroes will not have died in vain.

If we surrender, the massacres, rapes, and atrocities of October 7th will be repeated, just as Hamas has promised.

If we surrender, we will not bring back all our hostages. If we surrender, we will deliver a great victory to terrorism, to Iran, and to the entire axis of evil—those who wish us dead.

Those who say they cannot withstand the pressure should raise a black flag.

No, they should wave a white flag and surrender.

I will not.

I will continue the fight until we raise the flag of victory."