Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has "missions ahead of us" after Oct. 7 assault, aims to finish them

At a ceremony in Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl cemetery marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 assault that killed 1,221 Israelis and saw 251 people taken hostage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had secured major gains but still faced further objectives, pledging to see them through. He asserted that Hamas would be prevented from governing the Gaza Strip and warned that Israeli forces would keep targeting those involved in the attack and any remaining captors. Netanyahu also warned of continued operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against Iran’s leadership, which he described as weakened. He noted that the war in Gaza has caused more than 74,200 Palestinian deaths according to the territory’s health ministry, while Israeli actions since the October cease‑fire have killed over 1,440 in Gaza. Plans for Gaza’s post‑conflict administration remain unsettled.