Netanyahu: Israel Will Restore Quiet to Gaza Border Region ‘in Full’
by Algemeiner Staff
Israel will restore total quiet its southern region near the border with the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, following a week that saw an outburst of Hamas violence that nearly provoked an all-out war, Netanyahu said, “We are in the midst of a campaign against terror in Gaza. It entails an exchange of blows; it will not end in one strike.”
He added, “Our demand is clear — a complete ceasefire. We will not suffice with less than this.”
“As of now, we have destroyed hundreds of Hamas military targets, and in each round the IDF exacts an additional heavy price,” Netanyahu stated. “I will not reveal here our operational plans, they are ready. Our objective is to restore the quiet to residents of the south and the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip; this goal will be achieved in full.”
Last Wednesday and Thursday, terrorists in Gaza fired more than 180 rockets into southern Israel, targeting border area communities and the more distant city of Beersheba.
A total of seven Israelis were wounded in the rocket attacks.
The Israeli military bombed more than 150 Hamas targets in Gaza in retaliatory strikes.
The round of escalation — the latest of several in recent months — was brought to an end by an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.