Former Israeli Military Official: If Hamas is not Destroyed, Israel Will Have No 'Right to Life'

Major General Shmuel Zakai, former head of the Gaza division in the Israeli army, discussed in an interview with Channel 12 Israel what he believes the Israeli army is doing and should do. He believes that 'the essence [of what the Israeli army must do] is to achieve a decisive victory that will resonate for the next century in the Middle East and clarify that no army or terrorist organization should seize the territory of the State of Israel and butcher civilians.' This former high-ranking military official stated, 'If Hamas is not destroyed by the end of this operation, the State of Israel will have no right to life.' According to him, no enemy has ever been defeated without ground operations. Major General Shmuel Zakai referred to last week's Hamas attack as a 'strategic event' during which 'citizens of the State of Israel were butchered.' He continued, 'All our efforts must be focused on... the destruction of [this] murderous and terrorist group that targeted children, women, the elderly, and Holocaust survivors.' Zakai emphasized, 'We did not come here to create a country where anyone thinks they will dare to do such a thing... the perpetrators of this event must be destroyed.' Major General Shmuel Zakai stated that Hezbollah in Lebanon is trying to divert the Israeli army's focus from Gaza, and Israel should not allow such a thing. He noted that after the current war ends, the horrors and failures of Saturday, October 7, will be carefully examined. He said the events of last Saturday should not weaken faith in the Israeli army, which he claims is 'the strongest army, equipped with the most advanced equipment in the world.' Major General Shmuel Zakai stated in this interview, 'National resistance is a vital condition.' Following the armed militants' attack by Hamas on Israel on Saturday, October 7, at least 1,300 citizens, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel, and more than 3,300 others were injured. The armed group Hamas has also taken about 200 residents of Israel hostage. The United States, Britain, and European countries condemned this terrorist attack while emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself and the necessity of protecting civilian lives. The Israeli army denied attacking a convoy in Gaza that was trying to move south. The President of Israel met with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators. Austin: The deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the region is to prevent hostile actions against Israel. Biden's conversation with Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas; warning to any group and country that intends to escalate the conflict. Netanyahu's emergency cabinet; Lieberman joined, but Lapid currently has no plans for it.