by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – As Israel marked its 77th Independence Day amid war and grief, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir issued a stern warning to Hamas and emphasized the military’s readiness to escalate operations in Gaza if hostages are not released.
“The Hamas terrorists still hold fifty-nine of our brothers and sisters. But they, too, know their safety is not forever,” Zamir declared Thursday at the annual Outstanding Soldiers Ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. “The IDF is prepared to deal them a final blow. We will deploy the full force at our disposal very soon, if necessary.”
Zamir’s remarks came during a ceremony honoring soldiers for excellence amid Israel’s ongoing war, hosted by President Isaac Herzog. The identities of honorees were kept confidential due to fears of legal targeting by pro-Palestinian groups abroad.
“Our sovereignty and independence were not given to us as a gift. They were bought with blood and struggle, and they require us to defend them at all costs,” Zamir stated.
President Herzog echoed the call for unity and resolve. “We cannot wholeheartedly celebrate independence while our brothers and sisters are still in captivity,” he said. “This uniquely Israeli courage is also the source of our strength – in our steadfast national commitment: to bring all the hostages home. All of them.”
The IDF chief also addressed the growing societal rifts over the government’s inability to secure a hostage deal. “The anchor of unity among all sectors of Israeli society stands above any division. In uniform, there is no right-wing and left-wing. There is one people with one goal, one hope, one aspiration—for security, unity and peace.”
Speaking days earlier at Mount Herzl during a Remembrance Day ceremony, Zamir called the hostages’ return a “moral duty” and a “true test” of the IDF’s identity. “The IDF must serve as a stable anchor, a safe base, and a source of trust for us all,” he said, stressing the army’s role as a moral compass in times of national turmoil.
He honored fallen troops and civilians, as the Defense Ministry reported 316 IDF soldiers and 79 civilians had been killed since last Memorial Day. The Oct. 7 massacre alone claimed 778 civilian lives, nearly one-fifth of all civilians killed in Israel’s history. In total, Israel mourns over 25,400 security personnel lost since 1860.
At the awards ceremony, Zamir praised specific soldiers who overcame hardship to serve with distinction—among them, Daria, the sister of a civilian hostage; Oria, a survivor of the Re’im base attack; and Lea, whose grandfather was kidnapped and murdered in Gaza.
“You are receiving recognition during a time of war,” he told them. “We, too, together with you, are adding a new verse to the long and glorious song of the life of the people of Israel. From this place, in the heart of Jerusalem, our eternal capital, we send a clear message: The Israeli hope is alive and beating, and our actions will speak.”
“Happy and safe Independence Day,” Zamir concluded.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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