Security Cabinet decides to continue efforts to achieve calm in Gaza
Hours after PM Netanyahu and DM Lieberman warned Hamas it would suffer 'very powerful blow' if violence continues in Gaza, Netanyahu decides to wait for mediation team before taking harsh measures against terror organization.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Hamas that if the Gaza border violence would not cease, the terror organization will suffer a "very powerful blow."
Despite that Cabinet ministers urged Netanyahu to take firm moves against Hamas, the prime minister decided to wait for the weekend when Kamel is expected to arrive in the area in order to renew negotiations talks between Israel and Hamas.
Government officials said that the "Chance to achieve calm are higher than achieving escalation. However, a lot depends on Hamas."
Speaking at the beginning of the weekly government meeting, Netanyahu said the time has come to resort to “a different kind of activity” to resolve the situation in the strip, adding that “if Hamas has any sense, they will stop the violence immediately."
“Hamas has apparently not internalized the message—if they do not stop the violent attacks against us, they will be stopped in a different way and it will be very, very painful,” the prime minister stressed.
In an Ynet interview, Lieberman explained that the violent rioting along the Gaza border fence and incendiary balloon terrorism have left Israel no choice.
“We have turned every stone, and we have passed the point of no return… We have reached the stage where we must deliver the hardest blow imaginable on Hamas,” Lieberman said.
"Before we go to war in Gaza, we must exhaust all other options, which we made every effort to do … we tried to exhaust every possibility," he elaborated.
Meanwhile, Hamas threatened that if Abbas tightens the sanctions on Gaza, the security fence might be breached resulting in the infiltration of thousands of Palestinians to Egypt or Israel.
According to the Al-Hayat newspaper, Hamas's threat was conveyed to the Egyptian intelligence head.
Hamas officials added that they are not interested in the scenario of thousands of Palestinians becoming Shahids (martyrs). However, the officials said the terror organization would defend itself in case Abbas imposes additional sanctions on the coastal enclave.
Speking to Ynet, Head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni, said, "We must retaliate to end this (the kite and balloon terrorism-ed).
"This black thick blanket of smoke covering our skies is unacceptable. I invite defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to spend the Shabbat with us. But he will have to bring his gas mask because it's impossible to walk outside without it," he quipped.
"This is a very serious situation, and I call on the defense minister and the Security Cabinet to take the right decisions," Yarkoni added.
According to the Eshkol Regional Council head, the Gaza border communities' residents have been under "routine emergency conditions," which must immediately stop.
"The Gaza border communities' residents are strong and are prepared for another round (of fighting) to achieve an outcome.
"Fighting is not the end, it's the means after which calm would be achieved. I'm certain that the Hamas leaders, those who give the orders to riot on the Gaza border fence, should be neutralized, as Lieberman said.
"No sovereign country would have let this happen," Yarkoni said in reference to the "March of Return" campaign during which Palestinian rioters gather along the security fence, resorting to violence over the six past months.
"The IDF must have the power to stop it," he concluded.
In addition, several fires caused by incendiary balloons erupted during the day throughout the Gaza border communities throughout Sunday.
The flammable balloons caused severe damages in Moshav Netiv HaAsara, following which a conflagration also sparked in the Gvaram nature reserve.
An additional fire broke out due to an incendiary balloon near Kibbutz Or HaNer, and an incendiary balloon landed on an electricity cable in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Earlier, an incendiary balloon triggered a fire in an avocado plantation in Kibbutz Sa'ad. Firefighting teams managed to gain control over the fires.
