Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country will “achieve all the goals of this war” and warned “the struggle is not over,” just days after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
In an address to commemorate fallen Israeli soldiers on Thursday, when Israel is marking the anniversary of the October 7 attacks as the Jewish holiday of Sukkot fell on the earlier date, Netanyahu insisted that Israel is fighting on the front lines in the region.
The Israeli military intensified fighting on multiple fronts in the region following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks – launching strikes on Iran, in Lebanon and Syria.
“Great challenges still lie ahead, from enemies seeking to rearm. Great challenges — and alongside them, dramatic opportunities to expand the circle of peace,” he added.
Sticking points in the US-led ceasefire plan have emerged, including whether Hamas will agree to disarm, how a proposed international stabilization force will operate, and whether Israel will withdraw from Gaza.
Earlier this week, Israeli and Hamas officials released more than 1,700 Palestinians who Israel held without charge, 250 Palestinian prisoners and 20 remaining living hostages. But in Israel, some of that relief has been eclipsed by anger over Hamas’ delayed release of deceased hostages.
Netanyahu once again pledged to “bring back all the hostages” on Thursday.
Two years of Israeli bombing have razed swathes of Gaza, complicating efforts to retrieve some of the bodies of deceased hostages – and to recover tens of thousands of Palestinians from under the debris.
