Tel Aviv [Israel], October 12 : Israeli President Isaac Herzog called out the international community on Thursday to help secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive by the Hamas terror group following the deadly attack on October 7.
He called on the people of the country to remember the stories of the victims and share their experiences with others.
In an address to the nation, Herzog said, "I encourage and bless the people of Israel, we shall definitely overcome. We shall definitely be victorious...we have always done so. It shall take time, but we shall definitely overcome".
President asked the international community "not to sit idly" and to do whatever possible to bring back the Israeli hostages.
"I met the families of hijacked and kidnapped citizens of Israel. It was extremely tragic and extremely painful. So many people live in the reality of a nightmare...without knowing the real facts of their loved ones...Israel will do whatever it can to bring them back home as soon as possible. But it requires an immediate call from the international community, not to sit idly by and do whatever it takes to bring them back home immediately," Herzog said.
He added, "As President of the state of Israel, I ask you all to tell the stories of victims, I ask you all to remember this, because there is a short-sightedness in the cycle of media and new...but the pain will remain forever".
The death toll in Israel since the Hamas attack has jumped to 1,300 and some 3300 have been injured, including 28 in critical condition and 350 in serious condition, The Times of Israel reported citing Hebrew media reports.
The fate of an estimated 150 people abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip during the attack by Hamas is still unclear, the report said.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant asserted that Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will destroy Hamas and "will hunt down every last man with blood of children," The Times of Israel reported.
"Hamas is the 'ISIS' of Gaza, a savage organization, funded and supported by Iran. Hamas is ISIS," he says. "The 'ISIS' of Gaza will not exist, on our borders. The IDF will destroy Hamas. And we will hunt down every last man, with the blood of our children, on his hands," Gallant said in an address to NATO members.
He added, "We have been hit hard. Yet make no mistake - 2023 is not 1943. We are the same Jews, but we have different capabilities. The State of Israel is strong. We are united, and powerful".
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military has so far notified families of 97 hostages who were being held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, The Times of Israel reported.
Israeli PM's office in the post on X stated, "Government effort to assist the families of the captives and missing. The searches in the field are continuing and the difficult work of identifying the bodies continues. Many of those who were injured are being treated in hospital and we are investigating every piece of information that could assist us in locating the missing."
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