National Unity Party chairman Minister Benny Gantz, together with MK Hilli Tropper visited the IDF Central Command headquarters this morning (Wednesday).
Afterwards, the Minister arrived at the Efrat City Hall together with Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi and the chairman of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Shlomo Ne'eman. The Minister received an overview of the security and civil challenges in Gush Etzion and heard about the council's readiness to deal with those challenges.
In addition, Minister Gantz visited the Kfar Etzion Field School, which hosts about a hundred families from the village of Shlomit in the Negev, and sought to strengthen them. Gantz thanked the school staff for hosting the families as well as the effort to maintain for them a routine of life in the shadow of the war.
"I am finishing a visit to the Central Command and the Judea and Samaria sector. I met determined commanders, forces deployed in defense and offense, and residents and local civilian leaders who understand the responsibility that rests on all of us and work with the IDF in order to protect the sector's residents," said Gantz.
He added, "We are in the midst of a difficult time, and I would like to express sorrow for the loss of our soldiers - we knew that the battles would be difficult, that there would be prices and we also knew that our steadfast spirit would grow stronger - until victory. We are fighting on all fronts, and we are striking Hamas wherever it is. There are not and will not be sanctuary cities for Hamas - not in Gaza, not in Judea and Samaria, and not anywhere - near or far."
"We will pursue them night and day, in their cities and in their beds, in Gaza and Jenin, above ground and below ground. Anyone who joins the ISIS of today and tries to challenge us is in the crosshairs and will pay a heavy price at a time that suits us, and it will be continuous and over a long time. We will settle accounts with those who seek our harm. It will be long, it will be complex, it will be difficult and sometimes it will also be painful. But we will win."