October 7 was a day of indescribable sadness for the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his speech at a state memorial ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack, as he reiterated that Israel was “not defeated.”

“And as has happened time and time again in Israel’s history, it is precisely in times of difficulty that great inner strength emerges.”

“We stood together for the defense of our country, for the defense of our homeland,” Netanyahu said in his video message.

“We have defined the goals of the war and we are achieving them: overthrowing the rule of Hamas. Bringing all our hostages home, alive and dead, is a sacred mission that we will not leave until we achieve it. The prevention of any future threat from Gaza to Israel; and the safe return of the residents of the south and north to their homes.”

Israel is fighting, Netanyahu said, “to bring light to the world, a people who strive to spread good and eradicate evil.”

“As long as the enemy threatens our existence and the peace of our country, we will continue to fight. As long as there are kidnappers in Gaza — we will continue to fight. We will not give up any of them. I won’t give up. As long as our citizens do not return to their homes safely, we will continue to fight.”

When Israel wins, Netanyahu says, “not only for our sake, but for the sake of future generations and for the sake of all humanity, we will rebuild the territories on a much larger scale. By holding the root, the tree of life will grow again.”

“October 7 will symbolize for generations the price of our revival and will express for generations the magnitude of our determination and the strength of our spirit,” Netanyahu stressed.

“Together we will continue to fight and together, with the grace of God, we will win.”