The Israel-Gaza Strip border. Photo: Mary Madigan via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Gaza-based terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) vowed on Sunday to take revenge on Israel following the IDF’s recent destruction of a cross-border attack tunnel. The Israeli operation killed 10 PIJ operatives, including two senior commanders.

The “threats to target the movement’s leadership is a declaration of war, which we will confront,” the terror group said in statement disseminated by its media affiliate, the Palestine Today news agency.

The PIJ threat was issued after Israel’s Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai warned the terror group not to retaliate for the tunnel’s destruction, stating that PIJ would be “held responsible” for an attack on Israel and that “any attack by the Islamic Jihad will be met with a powerful and determined Israeli response, not only against the Jihad, but also against Hamas,” which controls Gaza.

In response to Mordechai, the terror group reaffirmed its “right to respond to the crime of aggression on the resistance tunnel.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, “There are those who still amuse themselves these days by trying to renew attacks against Israel. We will take a very firm stance against anyone who tries to attack us or attacks us from any area. I mean any source: rogue factions, organizations — anyone. In any event, we see Hamas responsible for any attack launched or organized from the Gaza Strip against us.”