On his first visit to Gaza since October 7, 2023, President Isaac Herzog told Israeli troops that they were following international law, including when it comes to distributing humanitarian aid.
“We are acting here in accordance with international law, we are providing humanitarian aid in accordance with international law,” Herzog said. “Those trying to sabotage that humanitarian aid are Hamas and its operatives, who are willing to do anything, essentially, to stop our forces from dismantling infrastructure that could harm us and our civilians.”
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior elected officials have toured the Gaza Strip, this was Herzog’s first time setting foot in the territory since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that launched the war. In addition to visiting with troops, Herzog was shown sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the controversial Israel- and US-backed aid distributor. And he addressed the issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment, which is at the center of a political crisis in the Knesset.
He made his comments during a firestorm of criticism from world leaders, humanitarian groups and international agencies that have accused Israel of withholding aid from a starving Gazan population and killing hundreds who come to the GHF sites seeking food. A chorus of countries is also calling for the war to end immediately.
In response to concerns over an increasingly dire food shortage in the enclave, and Hamas reporting a rising number of deaths from hunger, Israel has pushed back on those accusations, saying it goes to considerable lengths to deliver aid. The military has said death counts around the GHF sites are inflated, though it acknowledged some casualties from its fire. Herzog also defended the aid distribution efforts following his visit.
The president said in a statement that he was briefed on “extensive efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza — despite the danger, despite the pain of knowing our hostages are still held in brutal captivity.”
“Israel is adamantly committed to the rules of international humanitarian law,” he continued. “Even in the midst of war, we are doing everything possible to help civilians in need — in keeping with international law, and our Israeli and Jewish values.”
In addition, Herzog met with troops and received an operational briefing from Israel Defense Forces Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, 99th Division commander Brig. Gen. Yoav Brunner and other senior officers.
Addressing a group of soldiers, Herzog said freeing the 50 hostages still in Hamas captivity is “the most urgent mission.” He said military pressure increased the possibility of a ceasefire agreement to release some of the hostages, which has been under negotiation for weeks in Qatar.
“There are currently intense negotiations underway, thanks to your actions and those of everyone fighting in the Strip,” he said. “You are the ones who will bring our hostages home.”
Herzog praised reservists fighting in Gaza, some of whom have done multiple tours since the Hamas-led October 7 attack that launched the war.
“When I see you up close, it’s clear everything you do is to protect Israel’s citizens, defend the Gaza border communities, and safeguard the country. You leave behind work and family without hesitation,” he told reservists from Battalion 969. “It’s important to highlight the immense burden carried by reservists.”
He also met with commanders from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, a unit geared toward ultra-Orthodox soldiers.
“There are changes underway in the Haredi community that must be supported,” Herzog told them. “I want everyone to get under the stretcher,” he said, using a Hebrew idiom for everyone pitching in. “This is a real process. I’ve seen it firsthand in visits to bereaved Haredi families whose stories have gone untold.”
The president also met with female lookout and combat intelligence soldiers from the 414th Battalion. Following October 7, reports emerged that senior commanders refused to heed the warnings of young female surveillance soldiers responsible for watching the Gaza border in the lead-up to the attack, but Herzog said that since then, “the IDF has drawn many lessons.” He asked the soldiers if they felt their commanders were listening to them.
One female soldier replied that “since October 7, things have gotten much better — everything is much more open, and the communication has become more serious and meaningful,” according to a video of the encounter.