Benny Gantz
Benny Gantzצילום: אריאל חרמוני / משרד הביטחון

Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz warned Hamas Tuesday afternoon that Israel will respond with force if the Gaza-based terror group continues to launch incendiary devices into Israeli territory.

During a tour of the IDF’s home front command, Gantz responded to the recent wave of balloon bomb attacks by terrorists operating out of the Gaza Strip.

“If the terrorist group doesn’t stop launching incendiary balloons, we’ll respond with force.”

“Hamas is enabling the continued launching of incendiary devices and balloon bombs into Israel. We will not accept this, therefore we closed the Kerem Shalom crossing as a result,” continued Gantz, referring to the decision to close the primary border crossing between Israel and Gaza.

“They would be wise to stop threatening the security and peace of the State of Israel.”

Terrorists operating out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have launched a number of ‘balloon bombs’, or clusters of balloons tied to incendiary or explosive devices, into Israeli territory recently.

In addition, terrorists in the Gaza Strip have launched a number of rockets into the Mediterranean in recent days, an act sources in the Gaza Strip say was intended as a “message” to Israel.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz also held a situational assessment at the IDF Homefront Command where he was briefed on advances toward launching a coronavirus command unit.

The discussion was attended by IDF Homefront Command commander, Maj. Gen. Uri Gordin and the head of the coronavirus command, Brig. Gen. Nissan Davidi. During the visit, Gantz spoke with Homefront Command reservists and was presented with the plan for launching the unit’s activity in the coming days.

“I’m here at the new coronavirus command center, which has already begun working, the fruits of which we will begin to see in the coming days. The pace of work will begin to pick up, its efficiency will start to improve, the outcomes will be better," said Gantz.