Lieberman to Hamas: Holidays are over, beware
'We got through the High Holy Days just as we had planned, without a war erupting and while exacting a heavy price from the rioters on the Gaza border,' says defense minister, hinting at Israeli response now that holidays are over.
"We got through the High Holy Days just as we had planned, without a war erupting and while exacting a heavy price from the rioters on the Gaza border," Lieberman wrote. "But the holidays are now behind us, and I tell the heads of Hamas: 'Take that into account.'"
The defense minister held security consultations on Thursday with the IDF chief of staff, the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT) and other senior defense officials to discuss the situation in Gaza.
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot decided Thursday to send reinforcements to the Gaza border in the coming days.
The IDF said in a statement that the decision was made "to continue the determined policy to thwart terror attacks and prevent infiltrations into Israel in the border fence area of the Gaza Strip. The IDF is prepared and ready for a variety of scenarios and considers the Hamas terror organization responsible for everything that happens in and from the Gaza Strip."
Ahead of the expected rioting on the Gaza border on Friday, the Popular Resistance Committees in the strip threatened Thursday that "blood will be met with blood" and that "We will no longer tolerate the killing of protesters."
The Al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing, held a military parade in the Gaza Strip Thursday, displaying what was either real or dummy rockets.
Over a 1,000 Palestinians protested in several different spots along the border fence, throwing stones at IDF forces and setting fire to tires.
The Israeli troops responded with crowd dispersal measures, with the IDF saying the soldiers "are acting in accordance with the rules of engagement."
Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation headed by the terror group's deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri returned Wednesday after four days of discussions in Cairo with top Egyptian intelligence officials.
The discussions revolved around both the reconciliation with Fatah—a rival Palestinian faction led by Mahmoud Abbas—and an arrangement in Gaza, which would include a ceasefire agreement with Israel. It is unclear what the outcome of these discussions was.
In recent weeks, there has been a spike in Palestinian rioting in Gaza, as well as in the launch of incendiary balloons and kites.
On Monday, some 4,000 Palestinians rioted in northern Gaza, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails and launching fireworks at Israeli forces, who responded with crowd dispersal measures.
