Gallant: The price of war in Gaza is 'heavy, very heavy'

Israeli Occupation Security Minister, Yoav Galant, admitted during a joint press conference, on Tuesday evening, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and War Cabinet Minister, Benny Gantz, that the army paid very heavy prices since the beginning of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on 7 October.

He commented on the renewed ground operation in the Gaza saying, “Unfortunately, war also has prices, and they are heavy, very heavy.”

Gallant said, “Each and every one of the fallen are dear people to their families, to their friends and to us as a nation and as a security system,” adding, “Many of them are known to me personally, as commanders, Or as ‘sons of.’”

He said one way to justify the heavy price of the war against Hamas “is to hit Hamas hard”.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army announced, through three statements, the killing of 7 officers and soldiers in battles in the Gaza Strip, raising its death toll to 408 since last 7 October.

Galant also said that “Every day and every night, army soldiers, special units and Shin Bet (the General Security Service) are present in places where there could be hostages.”

WATCH: Hamas claims attack targeting Israeli military base in Gaza

According to Israeli media, there are still 136 Israelis detained by Hamas and other Palestinian factions, after the release of 84 Israeli children and women, in addition to 24 foreigners during the truce.

In response to “daily Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people and their sanctities,” on 7 October, Hamas launched an attack targeting settlements and military bases around Gaza, killing about 1,200 Israelis, wounding about 5,431, and capturing about 239, exchanging dozens of them, during a humanitarian truce that lasted 7 days until December 1, with Israel, which holds 7,800 Palestinians in its prisons.

Netanyahu said, during the press conference, “Gaza must be demilitarised. And in order for Gaza to be demilitarised, there is only one force which can ensure this demilitarisation – and this force is the Israel Defence Forces,” adding, “No international force can be responsible for this.”

Referring to Hamas, Netanyahu said, “I don’t think we should give it what it wants. I think we have to bring what we want — crushing victory, the return of the hostages and a promise that the continuation [in Gaza] will be different.”