Netanyahu: Families of Fallen Soldiers Gave Me the Mandate to Continue Fighting in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the families of soldiers who were killed during the battles in the Gaza Strip have given him a mandate to continue the fight. In a weekly cabinet session, Netanyahu stated, "The families of the fallen soldiers have given me the mandate to continue fighting, and they said that it was the wish of their sons until Hamas is eliminated and the captives are released." This comes after the Israeli military announced last Friday that it had "accidentally" killed three Israeli captives in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza. Commenting on the incident, Netanyahu said, "After this tragedy, I am haunted by the thought of what could have happened; we were very close to embracing them again," adding, "We will continue the war until victory is achieved." The Israeli military also announced the death of another Israeli captive in Gaza, Anbar Haiman (27 years old), while Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated, "He and the army take responsibility for the deaths of the captives and will do everything to prevent it from happening again."