Defense Minister Yoav Galant held a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday morning, which took place in the Defense Minister's office in the Kirya. The minister briefed the Knesset members on the activity of IDF forces in the various combat zones, with an emphasis on the progress of the fighting in the Gaza Strip in accordance with the stages of the fighting. Galant emphasized to the committee members that Israel faces a long fighting, in which the state will be required to have national determination and the steadfastness of the Israeli public.
Galant hosted a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Photo: Shahar Yurman
The defense minister said at the start of the discussion: "We are in a multi-front war, we are being attacked from seven different fronts – Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran. We have already responded and acted on six of these decrees, and I say here in the most explicit way possible - anyone who acts against us is a potential target, there is no immunity for anyone. The State of Israel will know what to do, the security establishment is preparing, the reality in which we are being attacked and we are restrained is correct according to our judgment, and everyone sees and understands the results in Gaza, those who see them especially are Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah.
"I want to tell you that this is a long, difficult war, it has heavy costs, but its justification is the highest it can be. We were brutally and barbarically attacked to deter us from living here. We must make it clear that whoever makes such a move is doomed. Whether it takes months or years, this matter must be resolved. Without meeting the goals of the war, we will find ourselves in a situation where the problem will not be who lives around Gaza or who is and lives in the north, the problem will be that people will not want to live in a place where we do not know how to protect them.
Galant and MK Yuli Edelstein,
"The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee represents the entire public, I act on behalf of the entire public, so considerations are determined. At this moment, hundreds of thousands of regular and reserve personnel are serving in the IDF, who come from all strata of Israeli society – Jews and non-Jews of all shades and from all directions, unfortunately the prices also look like this.
"We need determination, patience and strength and national compliance with our goals. This is a battle in which those who survive are those who are stronger on the national level, in their values, in their unity. This is a battle of national determination and I tell you that we will defeat Hamas. They didn't think about where they were leading themselves, we will beat them and beat them and the whole environment will understand this matter as well."
MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said during the discussion: "As the fighting progresses, we are converging on the transition between the second and third phases of the fighting. As we said, the defense minister and I, at the very beginning, this will be a long campaign and we must be prepared for it, in all its aspects.
"Now, we are facing a situation in which reservists may lose economic rights as a result of the government's unpreparedness regarding the Deferral of Dates Law and other benefits. This law has significant constitutional and economic implications. Our dear reservists enlisted and enlisted to defend their homeland and home without hesitation, and as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, I will insist that the state know how to reward and care for them. I will not allow a single soldier to be concerned about his home and livelihood while he sacrifices his life in combat. Our soldiers need to concentrate only on fighting and know that the state is protecting them as they are protecting it.
Minister of Defense and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee at the entrance to the discussion, photo: Shahar Yurman
"I spoke this morning with the defense minister on the issue and we are working together to advance a solution as soon as possible. We both agree on the importance and necessity of creating the right envelope for the reservists and the families of the evacuees. I hope that in the coming days we will bring an appropriate and correct solution.
"I thank the defense minister for the broad and important review. The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will continue to monitor and supervise the actions required to achieve the objectives: the elimination of Hamas and its capabilities and the return of all the abductees home."
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