prime minister Netanyahu (translated from Hebrew):
“Two years have passed since the October 7th attack – the horrific massacre of our brothers and sisters, the residents of the Western Negev and the participants of the Nova music festival.
We have paid a most painful price. Babies, children, adults, and the elderly were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists. Two hundred and fifty-one men and women were taken as hostages into the terror tunnels of the Gaza Strip.
My wife and I bow our heads in memory of our dead and our fallen, whose images will be forever ingrained in our hearts. We embrace with love the grieving families, wish a full recovery to the wounded in body and soul, and of course, continue to do everything for the return of all the hostages – both the living and the deceased.
Our bloodthirsty enemies have hurt us badly, but they did not break us. Before long, they discovered the enormous strength of the nation of Israel.
The seven-front War of Redemption is a momentous war for our homeland – a war for our very existence and future.
Alongside the immense pain, we feel great pride in the miraculous resilience capability of our state.
Our soldiers and commanders are fighting back in kind against our foes on every front, be it near or far. Whoever raises a hand against us suffers devastating and unprecedented blows.
Together, we smashed the Iranian axis. Together, we changed the face of the Middle East. Together, we will ensure the eternity of Israel.
Citizens of Israel,
We are in a time of fateful decisions. We will continue to act to achieve all the aims of the war: return all the hostages, destroy the Hamas regime, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.
Together we shall stand – and together, with God’s help, we shall be victorious”.