Prime Minister Netanyahu met this morning, Thursday, with foreign ambassadors in the northern sector, near the IDF forces operating to expose and neutralize terror tunnels.The ambassadors of the European Union, Britain, France, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, Poland, Russia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Australia and Canada took part in the meeting.
Netanyahu updated the ambassadors on the details of Operation Northern Shield and Hezbollah's intentions to use tunnels against Israel. He stressed that Hezbollah tunnels are one expression of Iranian aggression in the region.
The prime minister asked the ambassadors to condemn the violation of Israeli sovereignty and to join the demand for increased sanctions on Hezbollah.
The ambassadors were briefed by Northern Command Chief Yoel Strik and the head of the Planning Directorate, Amir Abulafia, and toured the tunnel area exposed by IDF forces.
"We deny our enemies the weapons of the tunnels systematically and decisively, we are doing this to Hamas, to Hezbollah as well, and we will do what we need to. Whoever attacks us - his blood is on his own head. Hezbollah knows this and Hamas knows this," Netanyahu said at the end of the meeting.
Netanyahu said he told the ambassadors that they should “condemn this aggression by Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas unequivocally, and of course also intensify the sanctions against these elements. This activity is at its beginning, but at its end this weapon, in which Hezbollah invested so much, will no longer exist and will not be effective."
"We deny our enemies the weapons of the tunnels systematically and decisively, we are doing this to Hamas, to Hezbollah as well, and we will do what we need to. Whoever attacks us - his blood is on his own head. Hezbollah knows this and Hamas knows this," Netanyahu said at the end of the meeting.
Netanyahu said he told the ambassadors that they should “condemn this aggression by Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas unequivocally, and of course also intensify the sanctions against these elements. This activity is at its beginning, but at its end this weapon, in which Hezbollah invested so much, will no longer exist and will not be effective."
"Israel's expectation is unequivocal condemnation of Hezbollah, additional sanctions on Hezbollah, condemnation and demand from the Lebanese government to stop granting its allowance to use its territory for these attacks on Israel. All this will be raised at the upcoming UN Security Council meeting at Israel’s demand. This is an important diplomatic step that complements our engineering efforts to deprive Hezbollah and Iran of the tunnel weapons.”
A diplomatic source added that the purpose of the ambassadors' tour was for Israel "to receive support and legitimacy for additional operations if necessary."
