Israel is “standing before the decisive stage” of the war against Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a video address to IDF soldiers as the preparations for the conquest of Gaza City ramp up.
“We are working to defeat Hamas,” he says, “but along the way we have also achieved wonders together, because we broke the Iranian axis – in Gaza, in Lebanon with Hezbollah, with the Assad regime that collapsed, with Iran itself that threatened us with existential threats which we removed together, and now also with the Houthis.”
“But what began in Gaza – must end in Gaza,” he continues.
Netanyahu says that throughout the war, his government made “very difficult decisions. Decisions no one believed we could actually carry out. But we carried them out because you gave us – and me – the strength to move Israel toward total victory.”
“Now we stand before the stage of decision. I believe in you, I trust you, and the entire nation embraces you,” he says, as tens of thousands of reservists are called up.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
