The chief of Israel’s Defense Forces told southern community leaders, “We are aware that we failed to defend your communities. We weren’t prepared for this kind of scenario. We will learn lessons from this mistake.”

“We’re going to do something big, important. To change the situation for a long, long time, in a clear way. This is a great mission, a great privilege. Do it with excellence,” Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told troops.