He did not specify when such an operation might occur. Netanyahu's statement came after Hamas carried out an attack on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people and the hostage-taking of over 200 individuals. He pledged that those responsible for the attack would be held accountable but only after Israel's campaign against the militant group.
Netanyahu stated that the decision on when to send in ground forces would be made by the government's special war cabinet. He also expressed sorrow for the attack on October 7, referring to it as a "black day in our history." The Israeli leader encouraged people in Gaza to move to the south and urged Israeli citizens to carry arms, emphasizing that the government was doing everything possible to bring hostages home.
The announcement came as Israel's UN ambassador called for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign, following Guterres's comments that the Hamas attacks "did not happen in a vacuum." Guterres later clarified his remarks, stating that they were misrepresented and that he unequivocally condemned the acts of terror by Hamas.
Amid these developments, Israel escalated its bombings in southern Gaza, leading to casualties among Palestinians. The death toll among Palestinians exceeded 6,500, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
A United Nations vote on humanitarian pauses in Gaza failed to pass, with Russia and China vetoing the US resolution. Russia had put forward its own resolution, which also failed. Aid agencies continue to call for a humanitarian ceasefire due to the dire situation in Gaza, with hospitals and clinics facing closures and shortages of essential supplies.