(Newsweek) Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari - A year ago, the State of Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history - a day that will forever be etched into our collective memories. For the Israel Defense Forces, it was a day in which we failed in our most basic task to protect the people of Israel. We had to immediately put in place a strategy that would allow us to defend our country, dismantle Hamas, and bring our hostages home. On Oct. 8, it became clear to the leadership of the IDF that Israel would rise out of the ashes and overcome the challenges before us. When the IDF called people up to reserve duty, more people arrived than were called up. When we took the initiative, we began to dismantle our enemies. We have eliminated most of the leadership of both Hamas and Hizbullah. We have dismantled whole brigades of Hamas in Gaza. We are working to systemically dismantle the capabilities Hizbullah built up to allow them to invade northern Israel and carry out an Oct. 7 of their own. Today, a year on from Oct. 7, our enemies should understand that the gruesome attack that day was a strategic mistake. Israel cannot, and will not, be defeated. There is no path to eliminate the Jewish state as the Ayatollahs in Iran have dreamed of doing. There is no way to break the Israeli spirit as the terrorist leaders of Hamas and Hizbullah believed. We will, ultimately, be victorious. The writer is head of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
2024-10-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive