Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the press following a meeting of the war cabinet at the IDF central headquarters. "All Hamas men are dead men walking, above ground, below it, in Gaza and abroad," Netanyahu opened.
"Together with Defense Minister Gallant, Minister Benny Gantz, the Chief of Staff, and the heads of the Defense Branches, we are working around the clock to reach the goals of the war, until victory, without political considerations," he added.
"We eliminated thousands of terrorists, and that's only the beginning. We are preparing for a ground incursion. I will not specify how and how much, and what the considerations, most of which are not known to the public at all, are" Netanyahu stated.
"When we enter Gaza, we will take the full price from the Hamas-ISIS murders," he emphasized.
For the first time, Netanyahu mentioned his responsibility for the failures that led to the war. "Citizens of Israel, we will investigate what happened thoroughly. The failures will be checked thoroughly. Everyone will have to give answers. Myself included. But that will happen afterward. As Prime Minister, I am responsible for ensuring the state's future."
Regarding recompensation for Gaza envelope residents whose homes were destroyed by the terrorists, he stated: "We will not leave anyone behind financially; we will raise the villages from the dust, and we will rehabilitate the communities."
Netanyahu declared that national days of mourning for the victims of the Hamas massacre will be set in the future. "The soul of the nation is bleeding. The destruction of the lives of 1,400 murdered is like a barrage of arrows in our hearts. The government will set national days of mourning for this terrible tragedy."