Netanyahu, Liberman: IDF Strikes Dealt ‘Severe Blow’ to Hamas
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman said yesterday that IDF air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza over the weekend had delivered a “severe” blow to Hamas while Liberman added that Israel has “no intention of learning to live” with ongoing kite-born arson attacks from Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS
“We will hurt anyone who tries to hurt us very badly,” Netanyahu said. “That’s what we did yesterday – the IDF delivered the strongest blow that Hamas has sustained since Operation Protective Edge. I hope they got the message. If not, they’re going to get it in future.”
Earlier Sunday, IDF Home Front Command told residents of the Gaza Belt region they could resume their daily routines Sunday as a tense calm held in the south after Hamas and Israel agreed to a tenuous ceasefire overnight between Shabbat and Sunday. Jewish Home Knesset members Naftali Bennett and Moti Yogev criticised the truce saying that “folding” to Hamas would only encourage the terror group to continue and increase attacks on Israel.
Netanyahu rejected the criticism, but failed to give details.
“(Bennett and Yogev) are wrong. We are not willing to accept any attacks against us, and we will respond appropriately,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu told cabinet: “I heard it being said that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire that would allow the continuation of terrorism by incendiary kites and balloons; this is incorrect. We are not prepared to accept any attacks against us and we will respond appropriately.
Yesterday I spoke with US President Donald Trump. We discussed security and diplomatic issues in light of developments in the region, with Syria and Iran first and foremost, of course.”
J-Wire contributed to this article
