Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War Wednesday, saying that Israel would continue to work towards preventing the outbreak of another major conflict in the region, while adding that the IDF would not hesitate to use its “full force” if war does break out.
During the ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery, Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s commitment to preserving peace.
“We must exert every possible effort to prevent war,” said Netanyahu, but added that “if we are forced into a war, we will use our full force against those who seek our destruction.”
“Those who seek to destroy us,” Netanyahu continued, “are mostly in the Middle East, in particular Iran, which openly calls for the destruction of Israel. It is our obligation to protect ourselves from this danger. And we shall continue to [protect ourselves].”
Earlier this week, Israeli fighter jets bombed a weapons development center in northern Syria, reportedly maintained by the Assad regime, with Iranian assistance.
Despite the airstrike, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah claimed that the terror group already possessed “precision missiles”, warning Israel to “watch out”.
"People who were outside the conflict with Israel are now part of it; Israel is afraid of any war, they understand that the war against us will have many ramifications in the region," he added.
