Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with the special forces soldiers who participated in the operation to release two Israeli hostages from Rafah on Monday and vowed that more such rescue missions are afoot.
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"This is a turning point in the campaign. Hamas is deterred and understands that we can reach anywhere, with any force. There will be further operations in the near future," Gallant said.
Gallant met with the soldiers who led the operation in Rafah and participated in it together with the Police Commissioner, the Border Police Commander, and the commander of the special forces unit.
During the meeting, he talked with the unit's soldiers and praised them for their determined action to rescue the hostages from the heart of the Gaza Strip. Gallant made it clear that the operation’s success also advances additional efforts to bring all of them back home.
"I came here to salute you and express my gratitude. The result is very impressive; it's this unit's capability that has been operating for years, and its ability to cooperate with the Shin Bet, the IDF, the Navy and the Air Force,” he said.
Gallant also addressed Hamas’ situation after more than four months of fighting in Gaza: "There has been a reversal in the way we and Hamas think: Hamas is hurt, Hamas can be harmed, and It’s possible for us to reach anywhere and do anything. The public understands today it has someone it can rely on," he said.
According to him, the operation won’t be the last one attempted to rescue hostages in the Strip. " There will be further operations in the near future. We trust you and believe in you, and I think, based on the number of messages I’ve received on a matter unrelated to me that there’s a great belief and support in you."
Gallant added, "This operation made the Israeli public breathe a sigh of relief. We still have hostages and we need to reach them, and we may not bring them all back this way, but I hope we’ll do so via diplomatic processes. But no one knows how many more of such operations we’ll need to carry out. Therefore, this issue has immense value, and every investment in the unit is worthwhile."
"Our existence in this land depends on deterrence,” Gallant said. “The symbol of this war can’t be that of Nir Oz, but must be that of a ruined Gaza, Khan Younis, underground infrastructure, and eliminated terrorists. I thank you, you’re on the frontline of fighting.”