Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation in a live television broadcast on Friday afternoon, thanking the people of Israel for "standing strong" during the 11 days of Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas' terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
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The stalwartness of the Israeli people allowed us to achieve our goals with "unprecedented success," Netanyahu said.
The prime minister expressed his condolences to the families of the Israelis killed by Hamas fire during the operation and wished all the wounded a full and speedy recovery.
Netanyahu went on to thank the Shin Bet security agency, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, head of the National Security Agency Meir Ben-Shabbat, as well as IDF soldiers and pilots, intelligence operatives, the Border Police, all first responders, and medical staff for their part in the operation, as well as Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and other officials involved in public diplomacy efforts.
"We struck at most of Hamas' capabilities," Netanyahu said.
The prime minister said that the only thing that directed him in making decisions was to ensure the security of Israel.
"When we launched the operation, I defined the main goal as striking a major blow to Hamas. The public doesn't know everything we did. I can say we did daring things, without getting into needless adventures," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu noted that if he had deemed a ground operation necessary, the government would have opted for it, but as it was, it was able to decide on safer options.
"Most citizens see that we operated with determination and … prevented needless loss of human lives. We did the maximum damage to Hamas, with minimum risk to soldiers," he said.
Earlier Friday, , IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman listed Israel's military achievements in the 11 days of Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Israeli forces destroyed some 100 km. (62 miles) of Hamas' "Metro" network of tunnels in the Gaza Strip, Zilberman reported.
Speaking hours after an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire took effect, Zilberman reported that some 200 Hamas operatives, including 25 high-ranking members, had been targeted and killed in IDF strikes.
Israeli forces also demolished some 340 rocket launching devices and 70 multiple rocket launchers with four to 18 barrels, as well as 35 assets used to launch mortars.
IDF strikes – executed through combined air, artillery, and naval operations – destroyed 10 of Hamas' government offices, 11 premises of its internal security forces, and five banks used by Hamas.
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Israel also targeted and destroyed "dozens" of training camps and outposts, command and control center, and nine high-rise buildings that housed infrastructure used by Hamas, Zilberman added.
IDF strikes eliminated dozens of attack tunnels and openings designed to allow Hamas operatives to attack Israeli forces, such as shafts, openings, and structures; and several dozen anti-tank targets, as well as seven drones and UAVs, and two unspecified "maritime threats."
Zilberman also said that two attempts by Hamas operatives to deploy drone-operated parachutes had been thwarted, and said that Israel had damaged Hamas' manufacturing and development capabilities by targeted strikes on key R&D personnel and its manufacturing workshops and weapons and cyber research centers.
As for the performance of Israel's Iron Dome, Zilberman said that over the course of the operation, the system had intercepted 90% of incoming rockets deemed to pose a threat to populated areas.
Netanyahu touched on the need to provide more fortification for the city of Ashkelon, which was the target of some 1,000 rockets during the operation. He also proposed tax benefits for residents of areas under frequent rocket threat.
"We stood up to the pressure," Netanyahu said. "Thank god, Israel is stronger than ever − flourishing."
Defense Minister Benny Gantz, speaking after Netanyahu, said: "Citizens of Israel, this campaign is over, but not finished. We accomplished all the operational objectives we set for ourselves. We exacted a heavy price from Hamas. We set its capabilities back years. First and foremost, we destroyed its underground network, we eliminated terrorist activists, very senior ones among them; we were able to foil Hamas' plans to carry out infiltration attacks, launch drones and more.
"Hamas was taken by surprise. It deeply regrets what it has done. But their surprise is not ours. We came prepared for this fight."
The enemy encountered an Israeli home front stronger than steel. Citizens of Israel, you are the victory image."
Now was the time for diplomacy, the defense minister said.
"At this stage, the military phase is completed and now is the time for diplomacy. On the ruins of the homes of senior Hamas leaders and the over 100 kilometers of terror tunnels, it is incumbent on us to build a different reality. Diplomacy does not mean lightning deals, rather putting in motion long-term initiatives that will weaken the extremists and strengthen and bring the moderates together. I've spoken with the leaders of the moderate Arab states; we have an opportunity for change," he said.
"We cannot miss, cannot hesitate, and must not close the door that has opened. If we don't take quick and correct diplomatic action, Operation Guardian of the Walls will go down as just another round on the way to the next operation," Gantz added.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi also issued a statement, saying that "Hamas made a terrible mistake by firing rockets at the State of Israel. It didn't read us correctly and encountered an offensive might and defensive systems that it wasn't aware of or expected.
"The damage to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad is significant and is characterized by three things: a fast rate of attack, quality targets and extreme precision. It will also take the enemy a long time to understand the scope and immensity of the damage it has sustained.
"With that, we expended tremendous effort not to harm non-combatants, among which the terror armies of Hamas and Islamic Jihad hide – in the most congested place on the planet."
