Speaking to Channel 2 News, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu explained that he decided to accept the ceasefire because he did not want to see a rising death toll or soldiers being abducted by Hamas. He added that he believes there are members of his cabinet who are secretly pleased that he did not bringing the matter of accepting the ceasefire to a cabinet vote.

He emphasized that while Israel agreed to the ceasefire, Hamas did not receive a single one of its demands; not an airport, seaport, government salaries, or the release of terrorists re-arrested following their release in the Shalit prisoner exchange.

Mr. Netanyahu explains the decision was made together with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz. The IDF offensive went according to plan and the prime minister explained that Hamas was dealt an unprecedented blow. He added that after hundreds of Hamas targets were destroyed the soldiers who have had to enter the tunnels and he did not want to see death and kidnappings of IDF personnel. He feels the air force and IDF artillery accomplished what was required without placing the ground forces at risk for a second time.

When asked to do so the prime minister would not promise there would not be a tax increase to cover the cost of the 50-day military operation.

Do you believe southern area residents have lost faith in the administration?

I met with southern leaders and this simply is not the case. They expressed support and backing for the government’s handling of the military operation. There is a chance that the current quiet will continue for a long time. Hamas is isolated and is not able to smuggle in weaponry at present. We will not tolerate sporadic fire.

The prime minister then sent a message to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), to select negotiating with Israel and not a unity government with Hamas. “We don’t have any problem with the PA (Palestinian Authority) taking over Gaza. We do however have a problem with Hamas taking over Yehuda and Shomron”, Mr. Netanyahu added.

In another interview, with Channel 10, Mr. Netanyahu addressed the growing threat of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East, citing three major sources; The Islamic Brotherhood and Hamas, the extremist Sunnis aligned with them including al-Qaeda and ISIS. He did forget to mention the Shiite extremist running Iran and Hizbullah. He is confident there are a number of countries in the region that view the above-mentioned a threat as Israel does and he is confident some of the Arab nations may cooperate with Israel towards addressing this common regional threat for in this case Israel is not the number one enemy, but rather radical Islam is.

In their media interviews, both the prime minister and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon had harsh words for their ministerial colleagues who opted to break ranks during Operation Protective Edge to attack the prime minister and his handling of the military offensive. They added they hope those ministers learned a lesson and now realize that while a minister can and must express his opinion in the cabinet forum, once outside the cabinet room the government must display solidarity in a time of emergency and all ministers must join ranks for in essence, they are all equally responsible for any and all decisions reached by the cabinet.

At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday 5 Elul, the prime minister added “First, I would like to commend our host, Ashkelon Coast Regional Council Chairman Yair Farjun and the mayors and regional council chairmen, our friends from the south. It was your leadership and patience that gave us much strength to lead this campaign with responsibility, sagacity and great determination, as well as with considerable vigor, in order to restore security to Israel’s citizens. This was, and remains, our supreme concern.

“Since the establishment of the State of Israel, our hand has been extended in peace to those of our neighbors who want peace, and we have always fought vigorously, and with strength, against those who wish to destroy us, while building up our state, our cities and our communities – this is what we have done this time as well. We struck Hamas very hard. The IDF and the ISA killed almost 1,000 terrorists, struck at the heads of the organizations, and struck at their network of tunnels and their terrorist high-rises. We foiled their rocket attacks, and their aggression from land, sea and air. We hit their command centers and delivered blows that Hamas has not experienced since it was founded. At the same time, Hamas withdrew from all of its demands for a ceasefire, with neither time constraints nor other conditions.

“I hope that the quiet that has been restored will last for a long time. But we are ready for any scenario both in this sector and in others including – of course – the Golan Heights. We will continue in keeping with our Zionist heritage, to develop our communities and our cities. I use the word develop, not just rebuild, because we have already started to do that.

“We will make three decisions. Our first decision will be to assist – with a 1.5 billion NIS five-year plan – Sderot and the communities in the area adjacent to Gaza. The intention is not only to rehabilitate agriculture and repair damage which has been done but also to assist industrial, economic and agricultural development, and of course the construction of additional security infrastructures. This is the first commitment and it will be realized today.

“The second thing is that this month we will submit a similar package for the development of the cities and communities of the south. We are committed to them, we have always been committed to them. In recent years there has been accelerated development in the south; we want to strengthen it. The Zionist answer to those who seek our lives is not only to rebuff them and overcome them in any campaign but also to develop our state, in this case the communities in the area adjacent to Gaza and in the south, and to develop the Negev as a whole.

“The third thing that we will do today is to fill in the gaps. We will start to fill in the gaps that have been created in security. This reflects our understanding about the order of priorities in security is first and foremost. We have done very great things here but this requires us to make a redoubled effort to allow the IDF, ISA and the security arms to continue to efficiently protect the State of Israel.

“In the end, we share Education Minister Shai Piron’s view regarding tomorrow’s opening of the school year as scheduled throughout the country. I know that Israel’s children, two million Israeli children and their families, who will be going to kindergarten and school tomorrow, have endured a summer that was not simple, and I know that there is also great excitement and anticipation ahead of the opening of the school year. On behalf of the ministers, I would like to wish all of the children, especially those entering first grade, that they should all have a good, successful and safe year.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)