NETANYAHU: Prepare For A Long Conflict In Gaza
BusinessInsider.com
July 28, 2014
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday his country must prepare for a long conflict in the Gaza Strip, squashing any hopes of a swift end to fighting that has already cost more than 1,000 lives.
In a televised address, a grim-faced Netanyahu said that any solution to the crisis would require the demilitarization of the Palestinian territory, which is controlled by Hamas Islamists and their militant allies.
“We will not finish the mission, we will not finish the operation without neutralizing the tunnels, which have the sole purpose of destroying our citizens, killing our children,” Netanyahu said, adding that it had been a “painful day”.
Earlier, the Israeli army said Palestinian fighters had slipped across the border from the Gaza Strip, with media reporting casualties in an ensuing gun battle. There were also reports of four Israeli deaths in a mortar attack, as an unofficial truce called for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival disintegrated.
“We need to be prepared for a protracted campaign. We will continue to act with force and discretion until our mission is accomplished,” Netanyahu said.
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