Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the torch lighters of the 77th Independence Day ceremony, alongside his wife Sarah Netanyahu and Transportation Minister Miri Regev. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu said during the meeting: 'We have changed the face of the Middle East. Partly through means, but that's secondary in my view. It's thanks to the enormous vital force inherent in this nation, which united in moments of trial. I simply want to salute you.' Netanyahu added that 'we obviously have another important mission, not just to win, but also to bring them home. We will bring them back.'