Commemorating Oct. 7, Southern Command chief threatens ‘powerful response’ if Hamas attacks Israelis

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Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor speaks at a Jewish New Year event in the Eshkol Regional Council, September 15, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor threatens a “powerful response” if Hamas attacks Israeli civilians or soldiers.

Speaking at a ceremony held by the Eshkol Regional Council to mark three years since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terror onslaught, Asor acknowledges the military’s “great failure” to protect Israel that day while hailing the bravery of the area’s residents for “defending their families and homes.”

“The work is not yet over, the journey of revival is not complete,” he says, while warning Hamas that “any attempt to attack IDF soldiers or residents of the Negev will be met with a sharp and powerful response.”