A Year of War, of Grief and Courage

Today we mark one year since the October 7th massacre

Today we mark a year since the October 7th Massacre.

Like so many others, I began that day as a reserve officer, defending our country as hundreds of Hamas terrorists carried out an evil and brutal attack after infiltrating into Israel's southern communities. On that dark Sabbath day, during its invasion, Hamas slaughtered men and women, children and the elderly, rampaging through communities in southern Israel in their mission of destruction. What was seen and felt in the days that followed is seared into the memory of an entire nation.

As the IDF fought to regain control of these communities, and to repel the attack, we were horrified by the images from the kibbutzim and the Nova Music Festival that suffered the brutality of the terrorist invasion. Even as the fighting continued within Israel, we were faced with the aftermath of sexual violence, extreme displays of brutality, and entire families wiped off the face of the earth.

On that dreadful day, over 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 people were taken hostage into the Gaza Strip. This was the largest loss of life in one day that the Jewish People have experienced since the Holocaust.

From that moment on, the State of Israel clearly defined the goals of the war: to return the hostages home, to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization and to restore security to Israel’s southern border.

With a clear mission in mind, and after restoring control within our own borders, the IDF set out to begin operations in furtherance of those goals. A year later, the IDF’s operations are still ongoing. Though we have significantly damaged our enemies capabilities, there is still work to be done.

As the conflict continued, I was called back to regular service—to serve as the IDF International Spokesperson, a role I took on in the midst of personal change. My wife had just given birth to our first baby girl. I remember holding her tiny hand, wondering what kind of world we had brought her into. But that quiet, personal joy came with a profound sense of duty. If we want our children to grow up safe, we must face the realities that threaten us now.

The Challenges we have Faced in the Gaza Strip

The IDF began encountering the challenges of combat in the area of a terrorist organization that had prepared for this moment for the past 17 years, embedding its military infrastructure inside and below one of the most densely-populated areas in the world. Throughout the fighting, the IDF reinvented the concept of urban warfare, learning and implementing insights and lessons as it fought against the genocidal terrorist organization. 

The first and major challenge we faced was the complex tunnel system Hamas dug under the feet of the Gazan population - running under the entire Gaza Strip, with tunnel shafts that allowed for the movement of Hamas terrorists with the ability to pop out and attack the troops, including in sensitive sites such as hospitals, schools, medical facilities and more. Throughout the months of fighting, the IDF has uncovered and destroyed hundreds of miles of Hamas’ underground terror network and infrastructure.

Every step we took to dismantle Hamas’ terror network was a step toward a future where my daughter—and every child—can live in a safer world.

Human Shields

Hospitals, schools, UN facilities and other civilian institutions were exploited for Hamas’ terror activity; these sites were used as Hamas strongholds, attack launchpads, to hide weapons, and even, sadly, to hide hostages.

Hamas have continued their vile abuse of civilians by firing toward Israeli communities from the very humanitarian zones and camps where Gazan civilians have been evacuated to.

This mode of operation is designed to weaponize International Humanitarian Law in order to maximize damage to its own civilians and place pressure on Israel to scale down its operations.

While Israel sees civilian deaths as a tragedy, Hamas sees civilian deaths as a strategy.

Despite Hamas’ nefarious tactics and best efforts to hide, the IDF succeeded in tracking down and eliminating over ten thousand terrorists, including senior commanders such as Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa, as well as eight brigade commanders, 30 battalion commanders, around 165 company commanders and more. 

Integrating intelligence capabilities with the diligent work of the ground forces and the precise activity of the IAF, the troops were able to reach significant achievements and fulfill their missions in a highly professional manner.

Efforts to Mitigate Harm to Civilians

While conducting operations and targeting terrorists, the IDF made considerable efforts to mitigate harm to civilians. This was done using evacuation warnings such as pamphlets, calls, SMS, and social media posts along with local, tactical pauses that allowed Gazans to travel using safe routes to designated safer zones. It is also through these safe routes where coordinated efforts between the IDF, COGAT and international organizations were conducted to ensure the delivery of essential supplies, including food, water, shelter and medical aid, all in the midst of an intense war.

This is all part of the IDF Modus Operandi, conducting intelligence-based strikes against terror targets with appropriate munitions, going to great lengths to minimize harm on the battlefield and ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

As we have continuously said throughout the war; Our war is against Hamas, NOT the people of Gaza.

In the Midst of Darkness, Moments of Light

Among the darkest days of this past year, a few fleeting moments of light have brought profound relief—moments when we brought some of our people home. The anguish of those families, waiting day after day, is hard to put into words.

When Ori Megidish, only 18 years old, was rescued in October, I remember seeing her picture for the first time—eyes full of resilience, a courage that belied her age. Ori, like so many others, had endured captivity in the harshest of conditions, robbed of her freedom by those who sought to break her spirit. She emerged with strength that reminded me of the tenacity of our people.

After 50+ days in captivity, 105 hostages—81 of them Israelis—were released during an operational pause between November 24th and 30th, 2023. The sight of parents embracing their children, siblings reunited, and tears of joy mixed with sorrow spoke to the resilience of our people.

There was also the day we welcomed back Louis Har (70) and Fernando Marman (60) in February - this was actually the day my baby girl was born. I will never forget sitting in the hospital, holding my newborn daughter, and watching the news of their return. They had been held in Gaza for four months, separated from their families and subjected to unimaginable hardship. Yet, in the embrace of their loved ones, there was a momentary sense of healing, a reminder that hope can survive even the darkest trials. I saw it again when Noa Argamani (25), Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27) and Shlomi Ziv (40) came home on June 8th 2024 and Qaid Farhan Alkadi (52) who was rescued alive from a tunnel in Khan Yunis on August 27th, 2024. Each one of them brought a glimmer of light, a reason to keep pushing forward, even as our hearts ached for those still waiting.

And then, there were those we brought home for burial. I often think of their families, who waited with cruel uncertainty, clinging to hope until the moment they were forced to face a terrible truth. The anguish of those families cannot be undone, but their strength and their love will forever honor the memory of those we lost.

The fight to bring them all home is a personal one. As a father, I am driven by the need to see all of our people reunited with their loved ones, to bring back those who were stolen from us. Each hostage represents a piece of our collective spirit, a story waiting to be completed. And until they are home, we will not rest.

We will carry their names, their stories, and their courage with us, and we will continue to do everything in our power to bring them back.

It is our duty and our moral obligation.

A Multi-Front War

The war has not been confined to Gaza, we are currently amid a multi-front war that began on October 8th, when Hezbollah decided to join Hamas in their attacks against Israel. Beyond the northern front, other fronts persist in their campaign of terror against us:

In Syria and Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly launched rockets and UAVs toward Israel.

In Judea and Samaria, where deadly Palestinian shooting, stabbing, and bombing attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces continue.

From Yemen, where the Houthis have fired long-range missiles into the Red Sea, targeted international shipping, and launched UAVs against Israel.

And directly from Iran, which has indiscriminately attacked Israel from its own soil twice in this year.

My role now is to share this story with the world, to speak for the men and women on the front lines and for the civilians caught in the crossfire bound up with every threat and every victory.

The Northern Front

Since October 8th, when Hezbollah joined Hamas and launched its unprovoked attack on Northern Israel — forcing 60,000 Israelis from their homes— they have fired over 11,000 rockets, missiles and UAVs toward Israel.

The IDF continues to respond with strikes on Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure, positions and rocket launchers, weakening their military capabilities to launch terror attacks against Israel.

In addition, targeted eliminations of top Hezbollah leaders were carried out, to damage their ability to coordinate attacks against our civilians. 

These include successful elimination of:

• Hasan Nasrallah, Secretary General and figurehead of Hezbollah (on 27.9.24).

• Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s most senior military commander and the head of its Strategic Unit. Also responsible for murderous attack on Majdal Shams in which 12 children were killed (on 30.7.24) 

• Ibrahim Aqil, head of Operations for Hezbollah and also responsible for US Embassy bombing in 1983 (on 20.9.24)

• Wissam al-Tawil, Commander of the Radwan Force (on 8.1.24).

Furthermore, localized, limited and targeted ground operations have begun in southern Lebanon adjacent to Israel's northern border, to eliminate the terrorists and destroy the Hezbollah terror infrastructure posing an imminent threat to Israeli civilians.

These are significant achievements that demonstrate the IDF’s extensive efforts to do everything we can to avoid a full scale war, allowing every diplomatic option to be exhausted so our citizens can return home in safety and security.

When we talk about implementing lessons learned from October 7th - our actions in the north are exactly that. 

Standing Against Iran’s Aggression

All of the attacks on Israel over the past year have been supported by a significant actor: the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the night between April 13th and 14th, Iran removed its inhibitions and launched a direct assault on Israel from Iranian soil. In that unprecedented attack, Iran launched over 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and UAVs toward Israel, 99% of which we intercepted, with the help of a coalition of our allies, including the U.S, France and Britain. 

The April attack was followed by the October 1st attack - a massive barrage of 180 ballistic missiles aimed toward the State of Israel. This was the largest ballistic missile attack on Israel in history. 

In our fight against terrorism, we have thwarted numerous attempts to smuggle weapons to terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria, Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iranian proxies across the region.

We are facing the immense challenge of fighting a 7-front war, against the IRGC in Iran, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, Hamas and others in Judea and Samaria, militias in Syria and militias in Iraq. 

In spite of these challenges, we have repeatedly shown that we have the capabilities, but more importantly, the resilience to fight and win on all fronts.

Fighting for a Safer Tomorrow

As we continue to fight, our goals remain clear: to bring the hostages home, restore security to our borders, and return residents of Israeli communities home with a different security reality. We fight not just for survival but for a future without the specter of violence that has defined this past year. The way to achieving these goals runs through resilience and perseverance, no matter what we are faced with.

Today, we remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, the immense sacrifices made and the 101 hostages that a year later are still being held in the Gaza Strip.

We renew our resolve to create a future where this horror never happens again.