PM Netanyahu: Operations at Shifa Hospital Roots Out Terrorists While Efforts Continue for Release of Hostages

By Hamodia Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spoke at a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Yerushalayim Sunday evening, March 31, where he elaborated on the IDF operation at Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip.

” Last week, our forces operated there in exemplary fashion. Shifa has become a main terrorism command center for Hamas. The surprise action by our forces was precise and surgical. They eliminated over 100 terrorists, including senior commanders, and additional terrorists surrendered. No hospital anywhere in the world looks like this; this was a terrorist lair,” he began.

The prime minister related that the IDF obtained important information that will assist them in locating the hostages and in prosecuting the war.

“At the same time, I have approved the IDF operational plan for Rafah. The IDF is prepared for the evacuation of the civilian population and for the provision of humanitarian assistance,” he said. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there for one simple reason: There is no victory without entering Rafah and there is no victory without eliminating the Hamas battalions there.”

Netahyahu said that the distress and the pain of the hostages’ families rends his heart and the hearts of all. He related that hostages who were released gave chilling testimony of the abuse they experienced.

“As Prime Minister of Israel, I am doing everything, and will do everything, to bring our loved ones back home. Our efforts to return the hostages are continuing all the time,” he said, telling all that whenever intelligence information comes in and operational conditions allow it, he will approve rescue operations despite the risk to the lives of the soldiers who join in the mission.

A combination of military pressure and determined negotiations, he stressed, has led to the release of approximately half of the hostages, and he is balancing the necessary pressure on Hamas and the flexibility that is possible in the negotiations to achieve freedom for all the remaining hostages. Although some have demanded increased concessions, Netanyahu insisted that by showing weakness it will embolden Hamas and push off any release more hostages.

The Prime minister ended his words by stating, “With G-d’s help, we will be successful. Together we will fight and together we will win.”