Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who took on the role of Prime Minister of Israel in December 2022, previously holding the position from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. As the chairman of the Likud party, Netanyahu holds the record for the longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history, with a total tenure exceeding 16 years. Furthermore, he holds the distinction of being the first prime minister born in Israel following its Declaration of Independence. Born in Tel Aviv to secular Jewish parents, Netanyahu was brought up in both Jerusalem and, for a period, in Philadelphia, United States.
Amidst the heightening conflict between Israel and Palestine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to demolish all identified hideouts of the militant group, vowing to reduce them to “rubble.” He has called on residents in Gaza to evacuate, stating that every conceivable measure would be taken to eliminate the capabilities of Hamas. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are systematically progressing through communities, addressing each house individually to regain control by removing terrorists from the remaining areas.
Netanyahu, using his official social media platform, asserted, “The IDF will employ its full strength to promptly neutralize Hamas’s capabilities. We are determined to dismantle them and will robustly retaliate against this ominous day that they have imposed upon the State of Israel and its citizens. As Bialik wrote: ‘Revenge for the blood of a little child has yet been devised by Satan’.”
“All the locations where Hamas is positioned, hiding, and operating in that malevolent city, we will reduce them to rubble. I urge the residents of Gaza: Evacuate now because we will take forceful action everywhere,” declared the Prime Minister. In a significant escalation, the Hamas terror group initiated a “surprise attack” in southern and central Israel, resulting in a death toll surpassing 300, with expectations of further increases. Local media reports indicate that 1,590 people were wounded, many seriously. Numerous civilians and IDF soldiers are believed to have been abducted and taken to Gaza, as reported by The Times of Israel.
“At this moment, the IDF is clearing terrorists from the last communities. They are systematically moving through each community, house by house, and restoring our control. I offer my condolences to the grieving families whose loved ones were mercilessly murdered today,” stated Netanyahu. On Saturday, around 6:30 am (local time), rocket attacks from Gaza targeted Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Gedera, and Ashkelon in Israel. Following these attacks, Hamas militants entered Israel from Gaza, causing upheaval in Israeli towns.