MK Bezalel Smotrich (Jewish Home) weighed in Monday on the debate over use of lethal force against terrorists and said in the Knesset that terrorists of any age must not return home alive.

Smotrich stated that terrorists of any age must be killed and that these are "the ABCs of morality, the ABCs of deterrence and the ABCs of conducting a war." He made clear that he does not believe in "neutralizing" terrorists and that they must be killed on the spot.

MK Elazar Stern of Yesh Atid appeared to disagree with at least part of what Smotrich was saying.

On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot made a surprising statement in which he defended the army's controversial open-fire orders, which only allow use of lethal force in extreme circumstances, and brushed off the teachings of the Jewish sages. "The IDF cannot speak in slogans like 'when someone comes to kill you – kill him first,'" he said, citing the dictum. Eizenkot also said that he does not want to see soldiers "emptying a clip" at a 13-year-old girl who attacks them with scissors.

He came in for severe criticism for his statements.