IDF chief: ‘Painful price’ paid by troops is ‘necessary’ to win this ‘long war’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says in a missive to troops that the “heavy and painful price” being paid during the war against Hamas is “necessary,” after 16 soldiers were killed in the past day.

“We are in the midst of a war. It will be a long war and we will fight it until the end. We are being proactive and fighting the enemy in their territory, striking them in the very places where they worked on their plans and in the very areas the evil terrorists came from,” Halevi writes.

“We are advancing in the stages of the war, and operating on the ground inside the enemy’s territory, supported by precise and heavy fire. The activity will continue and intensify according to the stages of the war and its objectives, as defined by the Israeli government,” he says.

“So far we have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy and damaged terrorist infrastructure. We search for, find and kill those who participated in the murderous massacre against us and those who sent them,” the missive continues.

“We will continue to push tirelessly and take advantage of every opportunity to bring the hostages home, through both risky overt and covert efforts, as we have already done,” he says.

Halevi says “war has a heavy and painful price, but it is necessary.”

“We are fighting for our right and the right of future generations to live in safety and prosperity in our homeland,” he adds.