Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday 26 Tammuz released statements to the media ahead of an afternoon cabinet meeting.

“At this time IDF soldiers are continuing take strong action across the Gaza Strip. As of now, the IDF has struck a deep and significant blow at the infrastructures of terrorism – at the terrorists themselves, at rockets, at command centers, at production facilities and at many other targets.

We are continuing Operation Protective Edge at full strength, in the air and on the ground. In the ground campaign, the emphasis is on dealing with the tunnels. While there are no guarantees of 100% success, IDF soldiers are making important successes in locating and neutralizing the terrorist tunnels. I remind you that there terrorist tunnels were designed to penetrate the State of Israel and allow the enemy to strike at it and perpetrate deadly and large-scale attacks against Israeli civilians.

In the last 24 hours we have also worked together with the National Security Adviser and the Transportation Minister to reverse the decision to suspend flights to Israel. This action has borne fruit. This is important for the State of Israel.

Above all, I would like to express appreciation to the Defense Minister, the Chief-of-Staff, and to the commanders and soldiers, reservists and conscripts, who are taking part in this important campaign to defend our country. On behalf of the entire nation, I would like to express our condolences to the bereaved families, to the mothers and fathers of our dear sons, the heroic IDF soldiers who have fallen in defense of our home, the State of Israel.

On behalf of all Israelis, I would like to send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all the wounded IDF soldiers. I have met with them, with some of them, and I am deeply impressed by their dedication and their desire to rejoin their comrades in the field as quickly as possible. I would like to thank the many, many citizens of Israel for showing so much support, so much love, and assisting IDF soldiers so much. Our strength is in our unity.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)