The Israeli Minister of Defense acknowledges paying very high prices in the war on Gaza
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant admitted that he had paid very high prices since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.
This came during a joint press conference on Tuesday evening with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz.
Commenting on the resumption of fighting after the end of the truce, Gallant said, “Unfortunately, war also has prices, and they are high, very high”.
He continued that he knew many of the officers who were killed in Gaza personally, “as leaders or as sons… and I say to them and to the families, there is only one way to justify the sacrifice, and that is to strike Hamas and return the kidnapped ones”.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army announced, through three statements, the death of 7 officers and soldiers in battles in the Gaza Strip, raising its death toll to 408 since last October 7, according to the official Israeli data.
Galant added, “Every day and every night, army soldiers, special units, and Shin Bet (the General Security Service) are present in every place where there may be kidnappers”.
According to Israeli media, there are still 136 Israelis detained by Hamas and other Palestinian factions, after the release of 84 Israeli children and women, in addition to 24 foreigners during the truce.
For his part, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the press conference, “The day after Hamas, Gaza must be demilitarized, and there is only one force that can be responsible for that, which is the Israeli army… I’ll not be prepared for any other arrangement”.
He continued, “We’ll fight until we complete all our goals, the return of our kidnappers, the elimination of Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza won’t pose a threat to us”.
More than once, Netanyahu announced his refusal to return the Palestinian Authority to take responsibility for Gaza, which contradicts the position of the United States, which has provided Israel with the strongest possible military and diplomatic support since the outbreak of the war.
During the press conference, Netanyahu pointed out that Israel approved a budget for an entire month until the end of this year, worth 30 billion shekels ($8.05 billion), covering the needs of the war and its repercussions.
As for Gantz, he said, “The army continues and expands its maneuvers in Gaza… as we promised, nothing will stop us…Some thought that Hamas would prevent the resumption of fighting or that we would avoid it, and we are proving that Israel alone will determine its future”.
He added, “We’ll work as much as we need and wherever we need, in the south of the Gaza Strip as well as in the north”.
