PM to nation: There will be difficult days, but operation to continue until quiet restored

PM addresses the country as IDF death toll in Gaza operation rises to 18 soldiers; premier urges nation to stand together, says operation will extend as long as necessary to assure peace and quiet for Israel.

By LEV SELMON
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the weekly cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, July 13, 2014. (photo credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the weekly cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, July 13, 2014.
(photo credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on Sunday, expressing his condolences on behalf of the government and Israel to the families of those soldiers killed in action as the IDF presses on in its ongoing ground operation in Gaza.
"To the families of the fallen, we feel your pain. We bow our heads for those who fell so that we can continue to live here in Israel. I speak for the government and the whole nation; we send our condolences to the parents, to the children, to the families of the IDF soldiers who fell on the battlefield," said the Prime Minister.
"There is no war which is more justified than that for which your sons have died," Netanyahu assured, adding that, "We will complete the mission which they [the fallen soldiers] began. We will return quiet and peace to the communities in the South and to all of Israel."
Netanyahu also asked Israeli citizens to stand united, be strong and "pray for a speedy recovery to our wounded soldiers."
"We all know at least someone who is participating in this operation," he said.
Netanyahu said, "We find ourselves at a war for our home. Our soldiers are operationg professionally and with great effort."
He also added that, "We did not want this war, but we will continue until we succeed. We are undaunted. Last night we discovered more tunnels adding to those we have already uncovered, many of those leading to Israel. Hamas invested for years in its infrastructure for terrorism."
Netanyahu explained that soldiers discovered evidence for planned terrorist attacks and kidnappings including handcuffs and sleeping gas.
"This operation will extend as long as is needed until quiet and peace are restored to Israel. We knew from the beginning that it could be a long operation, but the "eternal people" are not daunted by a long journey," said Netanyahu.