At Oct. 7 memorial, Herzog says Israel must exploit Sinwar’s killing to bring hostages home

Israel must take advantage of the opportunity to bring hostages home from Gaza created by the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, says President Isaac Herzog at the official memorial ceremony for IDF soldiers who fell during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre and subsequent war.

“The critical, supreme task still lies ahead of us — to urgently bring back the hostages from the hands of the murderers,” says Herzog at the Mount Herzl Memorial Park in Jerusalem. “The elimination of the arch-terrorist Sinwar and other enemies, and the impressive fighting by the IDF and security forces, have created an opportunity that we must not miss.”

The president says that Israel works “with all our might, and in every way — with determination, creativity, and boldness, to secure the return home of the hostages.”

Herzog says the return of the hostages is the supreme goal of many of those killed in the war.

“The blood of our brothers cries out to us. Their rescue is a supreme and binding duty, without which we cannot be whole as a people and as a state.”

Herzog adds that Israel also has a duty to rebuild destroyed communities and make it safe for Israelis to return to their homes, to stand by the injured, and to support those fighting and their families.

Herzog reflects on the ramming attack earlier today near Glilot: “At this moment, our hearts are with the dozens wounded and affected in the severe terror attack near the Glilot base. We pray and hope for their full and swift recovery and send strength to them and their families.”