Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inside Gaza on Christmas as they continue to battle the Hamas terrorists responsible for the October 7 massacre.
Netanyahu visited the northern Gaza Strip with IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram and was briefed by the Commander of the 261st Brigade, Col. Yehuda Wach, the Deputy Commander of the 162nd Division and the Deputy Commander of the 261st Brigade.
“I am here with you in the northern Gaza Strip and I am extraordinarily impressed. Previously, I told your commanders, and you, as reservists, as soldiers – we are proud of you and rely on you. We see the determination and the desire to continue on until the end,” he said. “Then I have two things to tell you: First, we will do everything to maintain your safety and your lives. While we want to pursue the mission, we want to safeguard you even more. That is the first – and most important – thing.”
“Second, we are not stopping. Whoever talks about stopping – there is no such thing. We are not stopping. The war will continue until the end, until we finish it, no less,” he continued. “I know that you left your families and that your families support you. That is amazing. That is the power – the key to victory.”
The Prime Minister spoke with the soldiers and heard from them about their insistence and determination regarding the mission – to fight until the end, until victory. pic.twitter.com/IEU8CgPl3W
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 25, 2023
PM Netanyahu: "I know that you left your families and that your families support you. That is amazing. That is the power – the key to victory." pic.twitter.com/8d2E24iiNo
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 25, 2023
Netanyahu’s trip inside enemy territory comes after he rejected calls at the start of the week to ramp down the intensity of Israel’s military operations against Hamas.
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“Citizens of Israel, we are intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip. We will continue to fight until absolute victory over Hamas,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “This will take time, but we are united – the soldiers, the people and the Government. We are united and determined to fight until the end.”
He also said that Israel’s decision on how to use its forces belonged to the IDF and the IDF alone — not outside influences.