Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday during the opening of a new Elbit Systems Ltd. factory complex in the rocket-battered city of Sderot that the Hamas terrorists who continue their stranglehold on Gaza, and whose attacks on Israel force the IDF to retaliate, were not imposed on the population by Israel.

"The hardship in Gaza is self-inflicted by the residents in electing Hamas as their leaders; Hamas is responsible for any rocket attack and will bear the consequences," said Barak.