A day after the deadly strike in Beit Shemesh that killed nine people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene and said the day is approaching when the Iranian people will be able to overthrow the ayatollahs’ regime.
Netanyahu, who arrived in Beit Shemesh with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, said at the site: “Citizens of Israel, I ask you to follow the Home Front Command’s instructions — they save lives. They saved lives here, many lives. But unfortunately not all of them, because there were people who, regrettably, were not inside protected spaces. I send my condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and wish a full and speedy recovery to the wounded. We will rebuild and build even more.”
Referring to the war with Iran, Netanyahu said: “We are on the third day of Operation Roaring Lion. We launched this campaign to remove the attempt to renew existential threats against us, and we also set out to create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny. The day when they can do so is approaching. We are bringing it closer. And when I say we, I mean us and our steadfast ally, the United States, and my very steadfast friend, President Trump. That day is approaching, and when it comes, Israel and the United States will stand with the Iranian people. It is important that the Iranian people stand with us — that depends on them. We will be there.”
He added: “Each day reveals anew the true face of the terror regime in Tehran. The terror regime fires at civilians, and we strike the terror regime to defend civilians. That is a vast difference. It exposes their barbarity. I have warned for many years that they threaten not only Israel, shouting not only ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America’ — they threaten all the peoples of the region. Yesterday they fired at large parts of the region. I said they would also fire at Europe, and indeed they fired at Europe. If this regime of terror obtains nuclear weapons, it will threaten all of humanity.”
The strike in Beit Shemesh was the deadliest incident in the current round of fighting with Iran. Nine residents were killed — Sarah and Ronit Elimelech; Yaakov, Avigail and Sarah Biton; Yosef and Bloria Cohen; Oren Katz; and Gabriel Revah — and dozens were wounded.