Gallant to world leaders: How can you ‘preach morals to us at the height of combat?’

Speaking after the premier, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hits out at criticism of Israel over its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, in remarks that appear partly aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron.

He highlights the fate of Kfir, a 10-month-old baby from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Kfir and his family were abducted to Gaza. Gallant says he has a grandchild the same age. He worries desperately about Kfir, he says. “Who is looking after him… among those savages…? A toddler who doesn’t walk yet… We have a supreme obligation to bring the hostages home.”

In this context, he continues, “I hear some [world leaders] and ask myself and ask them: How can you be so bold as to preach morals to us at the height of combat? One thousand and five hundred soldiers, civilians, women and children were abducted or killed… It happened only a month ago. Everyone saw what happened,” Gallant says.

“I want to say to those European leaders who criticize us: the State of Israel and the people of Israel in 2023 are not in the year 1943.

“We have the means and the obligation to defend ourselves, by ourselves, and that’s what we’ll do. We will not rest until we’ve carried out our mission, and carried it out so that Hamas is defeated,” he adds.

“When the war is over, there will be no terror organization called Hamas,” he vows.

Gallant says Hamas “is under great pressure” because of the IDF’s progress in Gaza. “They hear the tanks above the tunnels… and they know full well that we’ll get to them. They’re scared.”

The more potent the ground offensive, the greater the pressure on Hamas, and the better the chances of reaching the hostages, he says.

He castigates the “aggression” against Israel from across the northern border and says Hezbollah “is playing with fire.”

Lebanon’s civilians need to know that if Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “makes a mistake, the fate of Beirut is likely to be like the fate of Gaza.”