The Islamic Jihad terror organization responded Sunday morning to Israeli warnings against retaliation for Israel’s recent destruction of the terror tunnel network near Gaza.
Major General Yoav Mordechai, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), on Saturday night warned the terrorist organizations in Gaza that Israel will respond to any act of retaliation for the destruction of the terror tunnel that was exposed in Israeli territory two weeks ago.
"We are aware of the plot being waged by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad against Israel. They are playing with fire on the backs of the residents of the Gaza Strip and at the expense of internal Palestinian reconciliation and the region as a whole,” Mordechai said in an Arabic-language video he posted to YouTube.
"It should be clear," he added, "that for every Islamic Jihad response, wherever it is, Israel will respond with force and determination, not only to the Jihad but also to Hamas."
"We advise the Islamic Jihad leadership in Damascus to exercise caution and control matters,” Mordechai said.
On Sunday, Islamic Jihad officials said they were not afraid of Israel, asserting that they “have the ability and tools to strike" it.
“The threats of the Occupation are the result of fear and worry about the response of Jihad and the Opposition,” they claimed.
They said that Israeli threats against Islamic Jihad leadership were "a declaration of war" against which they would act.
"These are threats which expose Israel's belligerent intentions. We again emphasize our right to respond to any belligerence, including the destruction of the tunnel."