Yisrael Katz
Yisrael KatzKobi Richter/TPS

Foreign Minister and Security Cabinet Member Yisrael Katz rejected Sunday criticism of the government's decision to acknowledge responsibility for airstrikes in Syria overnight Saturday.

"The acknowledgement of the action is due to the fact that air strikes have been planned on Israeli targets here," Katz said in an interview with Reshet Bet.

However, Katz noted that this was a broad operation aimed at damaging the Iranian presence in Syria. "The operation's intention was to strike directly at the head of the snake."

Minister Katz also responded to the terrorist bombing in which Dina Shnerb was murdered and her father and brother were injured on Friday. "Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) weakens himself when he does not condemn this kind of murder and pays money to imprisoned murderers."

"We are mowing the 'wild grass' of Hamas," explained Katz. "Only the IDF presence prevents Hamas' takeover in Judea and Samaria."