The ceremony marking the conclusion of the 71st Combat Officers’ Course took place on Sunday, with the presence of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.
In his speech, Netanyahu conveyed that “a combination of military and diplomatic pressure will lead to the return of the hostages. The pressure, along with Trump’s firm remarks, brought the hostages back. We will continue the mission to bring everyone home.”
Holding up a photo of the Bibas family, who were tragically killed while in captivity in Gaza, Netanyahu shared: “During the early days of the war, Hamas murdered Shiri and her children in cold blood. They strangled the innocent children with their own hands, and had they been able, they would have slaughtered all of us in the same ruthless way.”
He emphasized: “This is what we are fighting against, and we must and can overcome these monsters – we will defeat them. That is our goal, and that is your mission. As the leaders of the homeland, you all bear the responsibility as the bearers of swords and shields. We have high expectations of you, but above all, I know that you have expectations of yourselves. We are proud of you, we trust you, and we salute you.”
Netanyahu also made it clear: “Hamas will not control Gaza; Gaza will be demilitarized, and the military force will be dismantled.” He further added: “We demand the demilitarization of southern Syria from the forces of the new regime. We will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria.”
During the ceremony, Defense Minister Katz discussed the ongoing operations in Judea and Samaria: “Today, I instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended stay in the camps that will be cleared in the coming year, ensuring the residents do not return and that terrorism does not resurface and expand.”
Regarding the IAF jets that flew over Beirut during Nasrallah’s funeral, Katz clarified the message: “Anyone who threatens to destroy and attack Israel will meet their end.”
He further assured: “If we need to return to fight, and when we must, the enemy will face a force they have never encountered before, and we are preparing for that. This war will conclude with two key achievements – the return of every hostage, and the defeat of Hamas so it no longer has a presence in Gaza, neither in governance, security, nor any other form. We will not allow Hamas to rule Gaza, and we will not return to the situation of October 7th.”
The Chief of Staff reflected: “When I was an officer cadet, just like you, thirty-eight years ago, I had to select a book to read and write about for my commanders in the course. I chose ‘Truth in the Shadow of War’ by Yaakov Hasdai, an Israeli hero who fought in several wars, including the Yom Kippur War, and later became a member of the Agranat Commission. ‘At that time,’ Hasdai wrote, ‘I was deeply concerned when I realized that no serious effort had been made to understand and analyze the lessons of the war.’ The book had a lasting and significant impact on me, and it played a pivotal role in my decision to initiate thorough inquiries during an ongoing multi-front war—carefully executed inquiries that would allow for profound and in-depth learning.”
He added: “We have been at war for over 500 days. Just this past week, we were again reminded of the enemy’s cowardice, hiding behind our soldiers in the field but showing ruthless cruelty towards innocent people, from the elderly to infants. Over the last few days, the children of the Bibas family, Kfir and Ariel, and their mother Shiri, were returned to us. They were held in captivity with unspeakable cruelty, along with 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, one of the founders of Nir Oz who had a deep love for this land. We bow our heads in respect to the Bibas and Lifshitz families, and we seek their forgiveness for not being able to return their loved ones alive.”
{Matzav.com}