Netanyahu makes surprise visit to soldiers in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu paid a surprise visit to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, where he received security briefings, spoke with commanders and fighters, and visited a Hamas tunnel.
Photo credit: Avi Ohayon (GPO)
“We are here in Gaza with our heroic fighters. We make every effort to return our abductees, and eventually we will return them all. We have three goals for this war: eliminate Hamas, return all our abductees and ensure that Gaza does not become a threat to the State of Israel again,” Netanyahu said.
“I am here to say to my friends here, to the fighters here, who tell me the same things, and I repeat this to you, citizens of Israel: we continue until the end – until victory. Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war’s goals, and we will,” he added.
“I sat with the deputy chief of staff and the commanders, on the wall was written: “The people of Israel live”. So the people of Israel live, and the people of Israel also win thanks to you. Thank you.”
Netanyahu’s visit came as Israeli authorities accused Hamas of blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to northern Gaza. On Sunday, 200 trucks carrying food, water and medicine entered the Strip.
In a statement posted on X, formerly called Twitter, Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) wrote, “A Hamas checkpoint blocked the trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of northern Gaza. To Hamas, residents of Gaza are their last priority.”
The tweet included a photo showing a long line of trucks and ambulances inside Gaza.
COGAT is a unit within the Israeli Defense Ministry that coordinates civilian issues between the Israeli government, the Israel Defense Forces, international organizations, diplomats, and the Palestinian Authority.
