Jerusalem – Netanyahu In Wake Of Gaza Violence: Those Who Test Us Pay Immediately

Jerusalem – Israel’s operations in Gaza yesterday were the “severest blow” delivered to Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Strip in years, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, and IDF commanders said the air force had demolished “high quality targets” that had been on the army’s radar for years.

“Since yesterday the IDF has strongly retaliated against the firing from the Gaza Strip and has hit dozens of terrorist targets in the severest blow we have landed on them in years,” Netanyahu said.

The IDF hit dozens of targets throughout Tuesday and in the early hours of Wednesday morning after Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired over 70 rockets and mortars at communities along the Gaza Belt and as far away as Netivot and Ashkelon, injuring several people.

Head of the IDF Southern Command Maj. Gen.l Herzl (Herzi) Halevi said that most of the missiles were either downed by Iron Dome batteries or landed in open fields, but said that Israel had been targeted by a large barrage of rocket fire.

Nevertheless, “I think we scored a very big achievement (last night),” Halevi said..

Following the cross-border exchange, a tense calm reigned over the south for most of the day, with the Palestinian factions claiming a ceasefire had been reached, while Israel has denied the report.

“The Hamas regime, Islamic Jihad and the other terrorist organizations, inspired by Iran, that are responsible for the escalation. I will not detail our plans because I do not want the enemy to know what to expect. But one thing is clear: When they test us, they pay immediately. And if they continue testing us, they will pay dearly.

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Altalena, a ship carrying weapons for the paramilitary Etzel group that was bombed by the newly formed Israel Defense Forces in June 1948, shortly after creation of the State of Israel, Netanyahu turned his attention to Iran.

“We will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons. We will continue to act against its intention to establish a military presence in Syria opposite us, not just opposite the Golan Heights but anywhere in Syria,” Netanyahu said.

“Next week I am going to Germany, France and Britain. I will meet with Chancellor Merkel, President Macron and Prime Minister May. I will present them with the latest strategic developments in our region, which are connected to the efforts to halt Iranian aggression in Syria and elsewhere,” he added.