“From the beginning, we promised to return the quiet to Israel’s citizens and we will continue to act until that aim is achieved. We will take as much time as necessary, and will exert as much force as needed,” Israeli Prime Minisyter Benjamin told a press conrfeence on Saturday night.
Netanyahu would not comment extensively on the movement of some troops out of Gaza but stressed that the redeployment did not indicate an end to Operation Protective Edge and that the IDF would continue to operate “only on the basis of security considerations.”
According to military sources, by Saturday only a few tunnels remained to be demolished in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday evening an unspecified number of IDF troops pulled back from their positions in the Strip and took up posts just inside the border with Israel.
According to earlier reports, the troops were being pulled out of Khan Yunis, in the south, and Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said that once the IDF had finished dealing with the terror tunnels, it would deploy “according to Israel’s security needs.”
“I can’t tell you how it’s going to develop,” he said. “We are keeping all options for action open.”
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel had caused significant damage to Hamas.
“Let there be no mistake, Hamas is paying a very heavy price,” he said. “The tally is clearly against Hamas and it will worsen as the days wear on.”
Netanyahu stressed that Israel had a high level of support from both American and European officials and said this was “an important achievement for Israel.”
He called on ‘’all responsible international leaders and decent people everywhere to stand with Israel now, stand with Israel as it confronts Hamas, stand with Israel as it defends against Hamas's deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on our civilians, stand with Israel, a democracy fighting a ruthless terrorist organization committed to our destruction. There is only one place for decent civilized people to stand and that's to stand with Israel.’’
Asked about reports that he had a strained conversation with the American ambassador in Israel, Dan Shapiro, in which he allegedly told the US not to “second guess” him on how to deal with Hamas, Netanyahu said that “these reports that are not only of my conversation with Ambassador Shapiro but also with the President…are full of incorrections, full of distortions and are wrong both in tone and in substance.” He called the level of backing from Washington “terrific.”
‘’The United States has given us tremendous support, material support with Iron Dome, not only the one that we received, but now both houses of Congress with the support of the Administration have agreed to the request that I made for an additional 225 million dollars for additional Iron Dome protection,’’ Netanyahu said.
In the meantime, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday determined that 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, previously considered kidnapped by Hamas a day before, was killed in battle in Gaza on Friday.
A special panel headed by Chief Military Rabbi Brig. Gen. Rafi Peretz announced the death of Goldin, an infantry officer in the Givati Brigade.
The conclusion was based on forensic evidence from the scene of the attack,a statement by the IDF spokesperson said. It added that prior to the decision, religious, medical and other relevant issues were taken under consideration.
Golding went missing on Friday morning during an attack by Hamas terrorists on Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza Strip. Two other Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack. The incident occurred during a breach of the humanitarian ceasefire declared a few hours earlier between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza.
The IDF had previously said that according to information at its disposal, Goldin was with ‪Maj. Benaya Sarel and Staff Sgt. Liel Gidoni during the attack, both of whom died. It added that Sarel and Gidoni are believed to have been killed by a suicide bomber and that fire was exchanged during the incident.“From the beginning, we promised to return the quiet to Israel’s citizens and we will continue to act until that aim is achieved. We will take as much time as necessary, and will exert as much force as needed,” Israeli Prime Minisyter Benjamin told a press conrfeence on Saturday night.
Netanyahu would not comment extensively on the movement of some troops out of Gaza but stressed that the redeployment did not indicate an end to Operation Protective Edge and that the IDF would continue to operate “only on the basis of security considerations.”
According to military sources, by Saturday only a few tunnels remained to be demolished in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday evening an unspecified number of IDF troops pulled back from their positions in the Strip and took up posts just inside the border with Israel.
According to earlier reports, the troops were being pulled out of Khan Yunis, in the south, and Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said that once the IDF had finished dealing with the terror tunnels, it would deploy “according to Israel’s security needs.”
“I can’t tell you how it’s going to develop,” he said. “We are keeping all options for action open.”
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel had caused significant damage to Hamas.
“Let there be no mistake, Hamas is paying a very heavy price,” he said. “The tally is clearly against Hamas and it will worsen as the days wear on.”
Netanyahu stressed that Israel had a high level of support from both American and European officials and said this was “an important achievement for Israel.”
He called on ‘’all responsible international leaders and decent people everywhere to stand with Israel now, stand with Israel as it confronts Hamas, stand with Israel as it defends against Hamas's deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on our civilians, stand with Israel, a democracy fighting a ruthless terrorist organization committed to our destruction. There is only one place for decent civilized people to stand and that's to stand with Israel.’’
Asked about reports that he had a strained conversation with the American ambassador in Israel, Dan Shapiro, in which he allegedly told the US not to “second guess” him on how to deal with Hamas, Netanyahu said that “these reports that are not only of my conversation with Ambassador Shapiro but also with the President…are full of incorrections, full of distortions and are wrong both in tone and in substance.” He called the level of backing from Washington “terrific.”
‘’The United States has given us tremendous support, material support with Iron Dome, not only the one that we received, but now both houses of Congress with the support of the Administration have agreed to the request that I made for an additional 225 million dollars for additional Iron Dome protection,’’ Netanyahu said.
In the meantime, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday determined that 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, previously considered kidnapped by Hamas a day before, was killed in battle in Gaza on Friday.
A special panel headed by Chief Military Rabbi Brig. Gen. Rafi Peretz announced the death of Goldin, an infantry officer in the Givati Brigade.
The conclusion was based on forensic evidence from the scene of the attack,a statement by the IDF spokesperson said. It added that prior to the decision, religious, medical and other relevant issues were taken under consideration.
Golding went missing on Friday morning during an attack by Hamas terrorists on Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza Strip. Two other Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack. The incident occurred during a breach of the humanitarian ceasefire declared a few hours earlier between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza.
The IDF had previously said that according to information at its disposal, Goldin was with ‪Maj. Benaya Sarel and Staff Sgt. Liel Gidoni during the attack, both of whom died. It added that Sarel and Gidoni are believed to have been killed by a suicide bomber and that fire was exchanged during the incident.