Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring the full force of the Israeli military against the Gaza Strip’s Hamas terror group Saturday night, warning Israelis of tough days ahead as the nation retaliates for a shocking surprise attack that has left hundreds dead and turned sleepy border towns into a war zone.
“The Israel Defense Forces will act immediately to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” Netanyahu said in a televised address, as terrorists were still holed up with hostages in at least three locations inside Israel. “We will cripple them mercilessly and avenge this black day they have brought upon Israel and its citizens.”
“Residents of Gaza, get out now. We will be everywhere and with all our might,” he added, as thousands of reserves troops made their way to military bases for a widely expected counteroffensive.
The premier spoke some 16 hours after hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated into Israel from Gaza, invading towns and kibbutzim near the Strip, killing at least 250 people, many of them civilians, wounding over 1,500 and apparently taking dozens hostage. Thousands of rockets from Gaza pounded the south and areas as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the unprecedented attack, which caught Israel completely off-guard as it celebrated the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
“This is an enemy that murders children and mothers in their homes, in their beds. An enemy that kidnaps the elderly, kids, youths. Murderers who massacre and slaughter our citizens, our kids, who just wanted to have fun on the holiday,” Netanyahu said. “What happened today has never before seen in Israel, and I will make sure it does not happen again.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring the full force of the Israeli military against the Gaza Strip’s Hamas terror group Saturday night, warning Israelis of tough days ahead as the nation retaliates for a shocking surprise attack that has left hundreds dead and turned sleepy border towns into a war zone.
“The Israel Defense Forces will act immediately to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” Netanyahu said in a televised address, as terrorists were still holed up with hostages in at least three locations inside Israel. “We will cripple them mercilessly and avenge this black day they have brought upon Israel and its citizens.”
“Residents of Gaza, get out now. We will be everywhere and with all our might,” he added, as thousands of reserves troops made their way to military bases for a widely expected counteroffensive.
The premier spoke some 16 hours after hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated into Israel from Gaza, invading towns and kibbutzim near the Strip, killing at least 250 people, many of them civilians, wounding over 1,500 and apparently taking dozens hostage. Thousands of rockets from Gaza pounded the south and areas as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the unprecedented attack, which caught Israel completely off-guard as it celebrated the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
“This is an enemy that murders children and mothers in their homes, in their beds. An enemy that kidnaps the elderly, kids, youths. Murderers who massacre and slaughter our citizens, our kids, who just wanted to have fun on the holiday,” Netanyahu said. “What happened today has never before seen in Israel, and I will make sure it does not happen again.”
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Slamming his fists down and injecting his words with fury, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would “win this war,” but warned of a heavy cost, hinting at a likely ground incursion.
“This war will take time. It will be hard. We have tough days ahead of us,” he said.