Minister of Defense Israel Katz addressed the General Staff Forum on Wednesday in its first meeting after Eyal Zamir assumed the position of Chief of Staff.
"We must ensure the State of Israel's ability to defend itself with its own strength against every threat on the front and the rear," Minister Katz stated.
"We are doing everything to bring back the hostages and we will continue to do it - in the end, Hamas will not be in Gaza. The support of the US President is a strategic asset that we must maintain," Katz added.