Defense Minister: “The IDF Must Be Ready to Strike Iran on Its Own”

Defense Minister ישראל כ"ץ held a multi-front security assessment today (Thursday) to mark 1,000 days since the outbreak of the war. During the discussion, the minister was updated that the effort to destroy terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is ongoing, and that 83% of the tunnels in the Yellow Line area have so far been destroyed.

At the start of his remarks, Katz addressed the 1,000th day of the war and said, "A thousand days after the murderous terror attack of October 7, the State of Israel stands stronger, more determined, and more powerful." According to him, "We emerged from the greatest rupture we have ever known into Israel’s war of national revival. We paid heavy prices and lost the best of our sons and daughters, and out of the pain grew a more united people and a more determined and stronger state."

The defense minister stressed that over the course of 1,000 days of fighting, the regional reality has changed dramatically: "In the past thousand days, Israel has changed the face of the Middle East." He added that "Under the leadership of the political echelon headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and thanks to the bravery of IDF commanders and fighters in both the standing army and the reserves, we struck at the heart of the Iranian axis of evil, thwarted Iran’s nuclear program and removed a threat of destruction from over Israel’s citizens, eliminated Iran’s leader Khamenei and most of the Iranian leadership, and severely damaged its strategic capabilities."

Katz went on to emphasize that in light of these developments, "The IDF must be prepared for an independent blue-and-white strike on Iran at any time required in order to remove any threat." He also said that Israel "eliminated the entire top Hamas leadership that was involved in the October 7 massacre, eliminated Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah leadership, destroyed Assad’s army in Syria, beheaded most of the Houthi leadership in Yemen, and severely damaged all the terror arms that sought to surround Israel with a ring of fire."

Addressing the continuation of the fighting, the defense minister said: "The IDF is currently in the security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria and will not withdraw from them — and the IDF must prepare for a long-term presence in the area."

According to him, alongside IDF operations in Judea and Samaria, the effort to destroy tunnel infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is continuing, and according to the data presented during the security assessment, 83% of the tunnels in the Yellow Line area have already been destroyed. He also said that in Lebanon, "Operation Silver Plow to destroy terror infrastructure along the first line of villages is continuing at full force."

In closing, Katz made clear that Israel does not intend to return to the security reality that existed before the war: "We will not return to a reality in which our enemies entrench themselves on our borders and threaten our communities. The IDF will continue to stand as a buffer between our communities and residents and jihadist enemies." He also said that "the campaign is not yet over." He ended with the message: "A thousand days after October 7 — and our enemies understand היטב that the attempt to destroy the State of Israel has failed."