IDF Northern District Commander Major-General Gadi Eizenkott  sent a clear message to Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah during a ceremony for fallen soldiers on Wednesday, also using the forum to explain to the bereaved parents that the Second Lebanon War was justifiable and necessary.

In the Siyur HaChaim (Tour of Life) memorial event held Mt. Adir in the Galil areas of northern Israel, the senior commander spoke of the situation which exists in Israel following the war, signaling an awareness that there are those who look back and feel it was a mistake. He cited the bravery of the soldiers, expressing the appreciation of the nation for their courage, determination and sacrifice.

He mentioned the shortcomings on the military’s part during the war, adding that today, the IDF is in a better place than it was then.

Eizenkott spoke of the army’s determination and abilities, stressing the IDF remains ready to respond at a moment’s notice to any threat in a clear message to Hizbullah. The participants in the memorial event visited the location where soldiers Eldad Regev HY”D and Ehud Goldwasser HY”D were abducted by Hizbullah terrorists in the cross-border attack that launched the war. The soldiers were killed and their remains returned to Israel in a prisoner exchange deal.

The official state ceremony for the fallen in the war will take place on Wednesday night in Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)