Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the current complex security situation in an address he delivered on Thursday at the IDF Officers' Training School graduation.
According to Netanyahu, the entire region is in a sensitive period: "The Middle East is at a crossroads. Extreme elements refuse to give up, and are regrouping to challenge us again."
He set a clear ultimatum for the terror groups in Gaza and declared: "Very soon Hamas will face a dilemma, to disarm the easy way, or the hard way."
Later in his address, Netanyahu mentioned the Iranian threat and the coordination with the United States: "I made clear to President Trump Israel's principles for negotiations with Iran, and we are ready for any scenario. One thing is clear: if the ayatollah regime makes a mistake and attacks us, they will face a response that they could not imagine."
Minister of Defense Israel Katz also addressed the graduation: "We will not allow threats of annihilation on the State of Israel in the future as well, and we will work against any threat, close or far. From here, I tell all our enemies: don't try us and don't test our determination, because you will discover a united nation and a strong and victorious military."
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, in his address, also addressed the Iranian threat: "Our finger is on the trigger more than ever. In the face of any change in the operational reality, anyone who seeks to test our resolve will encounter force that will exact an immediate and heavy price."