Defense Minister Israel Katz held a multi-front situation assessment today (Thursday) marking 1,000 days since the outbreak of the war, with the participation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, heads of IDF directorates, representatives of the Shin Bet, Mossad, and other senior officials.
During the discussion, it was updated that 83% of the tunnels in the “yellow line" area in Gaza have been destroyed.
In his opening remarks, Katz said: “1,000 days after the murderous terrorist attack of October 7, the State of Israel stands stronger, more determined, and more powerful. We emerged from the greatest tragedy we have known into the ‘war of revival’ of the State of Israel. We paid heavy prices and lost our best sons and daughters, and out of the pain a more united people and a stronger, more resolute state have grown."
According to him, “In the past 1,000 days, Israel has changed the face of the Middle East. Under the leadership of the political echelon headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and thanks to the heroism of IDF commanders and soldiers in both regular service and reserves, we struck at the heart of the Iranian axis of evil, thwarted Iran’s nuclear program and removed an existential threat from Israel’s citizens. We eliminated Iran’s leader Khamenei and most of the Iranian leadership, and severely damaged its strategic capabilities - and the IDF must prepare for independent Israeli ‘blue-and-white’ strikes in Iran whenever required in order to remove any threat."
Katz added that “we eliminated the entire Hamas leadership involved in the October 7 massacre, eliminated Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah leadership, destroyed Assad’s army in Syria, decapitated most of the Houthi leadership in Yemen, and severely damaged all the terror arms that sought to encircle Israel in a ring of fire."
He further said that “the IDF is currently in security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria and will not withdraw from them - and must prepare for a long-term presence in the field. Our forces are operating deep inside terror camps in Judea and Samaria. In Gaza, efforts to destroy the tunnel infrastructure continue, and 83% of the tunnels in the ‘yellow line’ area have already been destroyed. In Lebanon we are continuing to destroy terror infrastructure in the first line of villages at full strength."
He concluded: “We will not return to a reality in which our enemies establish themselves on our borders and threaten our communities. The IDF will continue to stand as a barrier between our communities and jihadist enemies. The campaign is not yet over. 1,000 days after October 7 - and our enemies understand well that the attempt to destroy the State of Israel has failed."