Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday at a ceremony marking the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, that the group would never again hold "any power" in the Gaza Strip, where the question of future governance remains unresolved.
Benjamin Netanyahu speaks Monday at the October 7 memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem © GPO
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday at a ceremony marking the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, that the group would never again hold "any power" in the Gaza Strip, where the question of future governance remains unresolved.
Speaking at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, he said Israel had made "enormous progress, but missions still await us, and we intend to complete them." He vowed to keep targeting anyone involved in the attack, which killed 1,221 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians.
Netanyahu also pledged to continue strikes on Hezbollah to "create an opportunity for peace with a country whose population, in its great majority, wants peace with us."
On Iran, he said Israel would not let "the ayatollahs' regime in Tehran threaten our existence," adding that it was "weaker than it has ever been since its creation."
A national day of mourning, and an unsettled Gaza
Israel observed a national day of remembrance, nearly three years after the deadliest attack in its history. Flags on public buildings were lowered at 6:29 a.m., the hour Hamas began infiltrating Israeli territory.
Since the ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in October 2025, Gaza's political future remains uncertain. Israel, which still controls most of the territory, refuses to withdraw its forces until Hamas disarmament is verified. Hamas favors gradual disarmament over an immediate, unilateral surrender of its arsenal.
Billionaire American investor Bill Ackman on Sunday said that Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich should not serve in Israel's next government, saying the two far-right politicians had caused enormous damage to the country's reputation.
The Israeli and Hellenic navies have carried out a joint exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, led by the commanders of both forces.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces re-election this week, is drawing criticism from economists and political rivals after suggesting Israel could use cryptocurrency to help shield its economy from potential international sanctions.
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