Prevention of Possible Terrorist Attacks Key Goal of Israeli Operation - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The key goal of Israel’s ongoing military operation is to prevent all possible scenarios of terrorist attacks against the country, Foreign ministry spokesman Lior Ben Dor told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"I don’t know how the ground operation will develop. Its main goals are to prevent all possible scenarios of terrorist attacks on Israeli territory, eliminate any threats and ensure security in our country for many years," the spokesman said, adding that Israelis understand that the war may last for a long time.

On October 7, Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory, firing a barrage of rockets and catching the IDF (Israeli Army) off guard. Israeli government launched operation Swords of Iron and invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law which de-facto implies a declaration of war.