Security Cabinet member, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich toured the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and met with combat reservists.
During the visit, Smotrich stated: "We are bent to bring victory. All of the factors in the cabinet understand that the State of Israel can not accept a threatening situation near it, and we are determined to eliminate Hamas. Let it take a month, a year, as long as we need. That is our obligation to the citizens of Israel."
He mentioned the "Enlisted for the Reservists" program that he and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Tuesday and told the reserve soldiers: "The program that we are advancing is the most encompassing since the establishment of the state, and before the widespread attention it gives, it symbolizes the people of Israel's appreciation. I am also here to hear your needs; I have been talking with the families of the reservists and the reservists on the front and the rear."
Smotrich added: "The program is very large, and we will make adjustments for the needs that arise from the field. We see the reserve soldiers as the top mission for the 2024 budget. With G-d's help, thanks to the heroic soldiers, we will defeat our enemies on all fronts. You are the living spirit of the IDF and the State of Israel, and we will do everything to care for your needs."
The minister concluded by discussing the social cohesion on the battlefield: "Every time one meets soldiers and the amazing comradery that there is here between different parts of the nation, the different opinions, it gives me great strength to the State of Israel. Keep doing what you're doing, and our job as elected officials is to raise the flag of this comradery and to do everything to keep the unity in the nation."