Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on the international community to demand the immediate release of Israeli hostages from Hamas on Tuesday during a tour to the southern Israeli town of Sderot.
"We demand from the international community, and today I will meet with more leaders who are coming here and I will talk with more leaders who will come, to demand the immediate release of the hostages who are in Gaza," the president said. "This is a minimal, basic, and reasonable demand of every human being and we will stand by it."
Herzog arrived in Sderot on the fifth day of the war at a community center in the city that has been transformed into an area overflowing with donations for the community, and where police and first responders are now gathered. After meeting with the community, with police who helped stop the terrorist invasion on October 7, and with rescue workers, he gave a statement to media.
“Our people are showing bravery, courage and stamina. We will prevail against our enemies,” Herzog said.
He said Israel’s enemies thought Israel was weak and divided. “The spirit of the nation of Israel has awoken.”
He said Israel would overcome its enemies.
“People are here to show solidarity and fight and stand for our nation and defend our nation," the president said.
He thanked US President Joe Biden for supporting Israel.
Herzog: The people of Sderot are heroes
Herzog praised the city for its courage and heroism. He called it the line of courage.
The city of 30,000 had suffered in the attack on October 7. Hundreds of terrorists infiltrated the city and attacked the police station, killing officers.
It took a day to kill the terrorists in the station, demolishing it in the process. People in the city have mostly stayed home over the last five days. Terrorists were found last night near the city. Rocket sirens sound often. But the city is ballooning with a surge in support from volunteers and it is a hive of activity for police, soldiers, first responders, volunteers and others.
In the city, people were wearing shirts from the protest movement that not long ago had been protesting in intersections, standing next to ultra-orthodox Jews and volunteers from West Bank communities, all of them now together as volunteers for the people. The young and old had come to this city.
He then said he wanted to also thank the Jewish community around the world for support.
“I can tell them the spirit of Israel is strong and we will have an iron fist,” he said.
The president spoke alongside the mayor of Sderot Alon Davidi.
Davidi said in a passionate speech that Hamas had to be destroyed and the threat must end. He said for many years he and his kids and the people of Sderot have suffered a horrible price. He noted that Israel has provided Gaza with electricity, water and also provided jobs for people from Gaza. Now he said that since Saturday more than 1,000 had been murdered by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
“I call on the government there is no other way, either us or them.” It is time to return Gaza to a normal place and remove the Hamas regime and make it so that people here can live a normal life like the rest of the world.
The powerful words were followed by a short tour of the president of the community center and a short comment to a channel from India.