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Netanyahu in Ashkelon: Achieving a real cease-fire will require blocking the Philadelphi route.

After his visit yesterday to Be’er Sheva, Netanyahu returns today to a tour of Ashkelon, under rocket fire from the Gaza strip. At an improvised press conference, Netanyahu returned to his meeting with injured soldiers at Soroka the day before, and pointed out the importance of gaining control over the Philadelphi corridor in the current operation in order to make sure that Hamas is not able to go back and rearm itself. “One soldier carried in him shrapnel for over two days until it was removed from him”, Netanyahu reported and noted that despite this, “He told me, ‘I am returning’. I have heard this from one soldier after another. Soldiers that say ‘we are returning because we want to complete our task and protect our nation’”.

“I think we need to complete this task in a way that will ensure that rockets will not fall on Tel Aviv or Ashkelon the day after tomorrow. We need to hit Hamas, but also block the Philadelphi route, because otherwise it will be yet another time that the cease-fire will enable Hamas to rearm itself.”

What is your opinion on the cease-fire, the four-hour humanitarian corridor?
“Fifteen minutes after the temporary cease-fire began, I the residents of Ashkelon were greeted by three rockets”, said Netanyahu. “That is not what we’re asking for.”

“We want a real cease-fire, now and in the future. The achievement of this goal demands the closing of the southern corridor in order to ensure the minimum and necessary standard of security for Israeli citizens” said Netanyahu and emphasized in conclusion how moved he is when meeting Israeli soldiers and their parents – “What we see here is Israel at its best, these soldiers understand that they are defending with their bodies everyone here, and I say to them, take care of yourselves too.”