PM Netanyahu's remarks at the start of the Government meeting
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PM Netanyahu: "We attacked the Hamas spokesman, the spokesman for an evil and murderous organization, Abu Obeida. While I hope that he is no longer with us, I note that there is no spokesperson to report on this from the Hamas side."
Type: Press Releases
Publish Date: 31.08.2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 31 August 2025), at the start of the Government meeting [translated from Hebrew]:
"These are days of great achievements, but they are also very challenging.
In an ISA and IDF operation, we succeeded in returning to Israel for Jewish burial two of our deceased hostages - Idan Shtivi and Ilan Weiss, may their memories be blessed.
They are both heroes. They both acted to try to rescue and save others. Shtivi was at Nova, and he acted. He could have saved himself, but he went ahead and rescued people, and returned and rescued more, and was then shot in the back.
Ilan Weiss was 56. He left his home the morning of the awful attack; he was a member of the emergency squad. He ran to the armory. Tried to retrieve weapons - and was murdered there.
Their bodies were abducted to Gaza. We have been engaged in a months-long effort to bring them back, and it has been successful.
Yesterday I spoke with their families and conveyed our condolences on behalf of the Government of Israel and the people of Israel.
This operation expresses our commitment to bringing back all of our hostages. I remind you that as of today, we have brought back 207, including 148 alive. We will bring them all back, the living and the deceased.
The Security Cabinet decided on the issue: Defeating Hamas and releasing all of our hostages, in a major effort, and the IDF has already started to carry out this decision.
I would like to express my appreciation to the reservist and conscript soldiers who are preparing for this release and defeat mission.
In an additional joint mission, the ISA and the IDF attacked the Hamas spokesman, the spokesman for an evil and murderous organization, Abu Obeida. We still do not know the final result. While I hope that he is no longer with us, I note that there is no spokesperson to report on this from the Hamas side. The upcoming hours and days will certainly tell what they will.
For some time, I have been promising you, as well as the citizens of Israel, that the Houthis will pay a heavy price for their aggression against the State of Israel. Last Thursday, I ordered the IDF to attack their terrorist government in Yemen.
The Air Force attacked a gathering of senior terrorist regime figures in Sanaa. At that time, they were expecting a speech by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who would promise in every such speech that he would strike Israel and destroy Israel. They inscribed this on their flag.
This promise has not been realized; however, our promise to vigorously strike this terrorist regime has been realized in a significant way.
In a lethal strike, the IDF eliminated most of the Houthi government and additional senior military officials.
I remind you that an entire coalition of countries has acted against them. But we did what nobody else has done before us, and this is only the beginning of striking senior figures in Sanaa, we will reach them all.
I remind you of one other thing: Only two months ago, we struck the head of the snake and carried out an operation that will be noted for generations, for lifting an existential threat from us; again - in a way that no country has done before us. Since then, we have been systematically striking the remnants of this axis, day after day, arena after arena.
Together we will continue to operate on all fronts and with G-d's help, together we will continue to win."
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