In a primetime address to regular and reserve soldiers and their families, PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press into the “decisive stage” of the war, pledged to bring hostages home, and credited Israel with breaking the Iranian axis—insisting the campaign must be finished in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rallying message on Tuesday evening to IDF soldiers—regulars and reservists—and their families, praising their sacrifice and signaling that Israel is entering the “decisive stage” of the war.
“I want to strengthen and express my deep appreciation,” Netanyahu opened, acknowledging the price paid “in work, studies, and at home.” He framed the conflict as a “relentless and just war like no other,” vowing that Israel “will never forget” the atrocities of October 7—and declaring that efforts to return the hostages from Gaza’s tunnels continue.
Turning to the wider battlefield, Netanyahu asserted that Israel has “broken the Iranian axis,” citing blows against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, actions affecting the Assad regime, direct confrontation with Iran, and strikes against the Houthis. Still, he emphasized a singular strategic bottom line: “What began in Gaza must end in Gaza.”
Throughout the war, he said, the government made “very difficult decisions” that few believed could be executed—decisions made possible, he argued, by the strength and resolve of IDF troops. “Now we are facing the decisive stage. I believe in you, I trust you, and the whole nation is embracing you. With God’s help, together we will win.”
