"Israel will prevail, will bring back hostages," says Israeli envoy Reuven Azar

Speaking on occasion, Reuven Azar said, "One year ago, October 7 shook our being. It took few hours to grasp the terrible atrocities happening in our southern border. Israel will prevail. We will defeat our enemies. We will bring back hostages. We will work hard to learn from our mistakes."

Highligting India's support for Israel, the envoy thanked India and said, "We are grateful for the support of the Government and People of India, who partner with us, and our neighbors, to build a better future."

Further, Azar described the shocking scenes of murder, kidnapping, and burning, and the celebrations in Gaza as hostages were dragged out of vehicles. "These terrorists were killing and boasting about it. They are worse than animals," the Ambassador emphasised.

"Only after a day or two we began to understand what happened to us. It became unbearable. The following ws. eeks and months, as more of the terrible scenes and stories of abuse and torture kept coming, we entered into a situation of constant anxiety. Nights without sleep, nightmares," he added.

The envoy drew parallels with Israel's past, citing the 1973 surprise attack. "Approximately 50 years ago, the national trauma kept haunting us for years after the war, affecting the psyche of an entire generation."

However, the Ambassador noted that the October 7 attack was different, he said adding, "50 years later, the 7th of October 2023 was much worse. Not because more people died on that day, and keep dying as we speak. It was because at the national level, the basic contract between citizen and state was breached. We, the government of Israel and the IDF failed in our most basic and essential mission: to defend our citizens."

The Ambassador highlighted Israel's resilience despite the challenges. "We regained the trust in ourselves and in our society. Tens of thousands of Israelis came back from abroad to join the fight for our defense," he said.

The Ambassador praised Israel's youth and affirmed, "The most amazing thing to watch is our young generation. We failed them. But they outperformed beyond any expectation."

He also reaffirmed Israel's commitment to its homeland and expressed determination to achieve peace.

Hamas launched a massive terror attack against Israel on October 7 last year, killing over 1200 people and holding over 250 as hostages, out of whom around 100 are still in captivity.

In response, Israel launched a strong counter-offensive, targeting Hamas units in the Gaza Strip. However, the mounting civilian toll has raised concerns over the humanitarian situation in the region. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to the Gaza health ministry. (ANI)