Netanyahu: We Will Destroy Hamas

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated in an emergency cabinet meeting that the national unity displayed in his country sends a message both domestically and internationally that Israel is preparing to 'destroy Hamas.' In a video released by Netanyahu's office from the emergency cabinet meeting held at a military headquarters in Tel Aviv, ministers are seen standing in remembrance of the 1,300 Israelis killed in the Hamas attack on October 7. Netanyahu welcomed Benny Gantz, a former opposition lawmaker who joined the security cabinet last week, stating that all ministers are 'working around the clock in a united front.' Netanyahu said, 'Hamas thought we would be destroyed. It is we who will destroy Hamas,' adding that the display of unity 'sends a clear message to the nation, the enemy, and the world.' Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that with extensive logistical support and hundreds of thousands of reserve forces, it is preparing for a wide range of offensive operations, which could include coordinated attacks from air, sea, and land. Tzachi Hanegbi, head of Israel's National Security Council, declared on Saturday, October 14, that the goal of the current war is to end Hamas's political and military control over the Gaza Strip. This Israeli security official emphasized that the government has approved the plan for the 'destruction' of Hamas in its recent cabinet meeting. An Israeli army spokesperson also stated in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that the focus of the current war is 'to destroy and eliminate Hamas's military capabilities and their military infrastructure in Gaza.' Babak Taghvaei noted that the Israeli army could easily incapacitate Hamas if a ground attack occurs in Gaza. A message of deterrence is being sent to the Islamic Republic; the second American aircraft carrier is heading to the region. A former Israeli military official stated that if Hamas is not destroyed, Israel will not have the 'right to exist.' The Israeli army denied attacking a convoy in Gaza that was heading south. The President of Israel met with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators. German officials are discussing the expulsion of Hamas supporters from Germany.