PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Start of the Cabinet Meeting
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Thursday, 24 July 2014), made the
following remarks at the start of the Cabinet meeting:

"At this time IDF soldiers are continuing take strong action across the Gaza
Strip. As of now, the IDF has struck a deep and significant blow at the
infrastructures of terrorism – at the terrorists themselves, at rockets, at
command centers, at production facilities and at many other targets.

We are continuing Operation Protective Edge at full strength, in the air and
on the ground. In the ground campaign, the emphasis is on dealing with the
tunnels. While there are no guarantees of 100% success, IDF soldiers are
making important successes in locating and neutralizing the terrorist
tunnels. I remind you that there terrorist tunnels were designed to
penetrate the State of Israel and allow the enemy to strike at it and
perpetrate deadly and large-scale attacks against Israeli civilians.

In the last 24 hours we have also worked together with the National Security
Adviser and the Transportation Minister to reverse the decision to suspend
flights to Israel. This action has borne fruit. This is important for the
State of Israel.

Above all, I would like to express appreciation to the Defense Minister, the
Chief-of-Staff, and to the commanders and soldiers, reservists and
conscripts, who are taking part in this important campaign to defend our
country. On behalf of the entire nation, I would like to express our
condolences to the bereaved families, to the mothers and fathers of our dear
sons, the heroic IDF soldiers who have fallen in defense of our home, the
State of Israel.

On behalf of all Israelis, I would like to send our best wishes for a quick
recovery to all the wounded IDF soldiers. I have met with them, with some of
them, and I am deeply impressed by their dedication and their desire to
rejoin their comrades in the field as quickly as possible. I would like to
thank the many, many citizens of Israel for showing so much support, so much
love, and assisting IDF soldiers so much. Our strength is in our unity."