Netanyahu at Hazor Base
Netanyahu at Hazor BaseKobi Gideon/GPO

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday evening with the heads of the local authorities in the Gaza envelope as incendiary and explosive balloons continue to be launched from the Gaza Strip.

"We have adopted the same response to arson as we have to rockets. We have been working for ten days in a row to bomb the infrastructure of Hamas and the other terrorist organizations. We are also imposing various sanctions in areas that are important to Hamas as well," Netanyahu assured the leaders.

"Unfortunately, we are also preparing for the outbreak of another round or rounds [of conflict]. We hope that it will not come to that, but we are not prepared to accept the use of this tactic [of sending balloons over the border to cause fires and explosions], which, by the way, there is no justification for," the prime minister added.

"Hamas will make a very big mistake if it continues to do this. It is already getting an indication of where this will lead, it will surely remember where it led and I hope the Islamic Jihad will also remember where it led.

"We have not rule out any means of stopping this, including, if need be, the development of a full-scale campaign, and even the means of targeted assassinations, and even today we have no such limitation. I really appreciate your standing and the fact that you understand that we do not take this lightly. I do not stick my head in the sand, I do not know anyone at our top who sticks their head in the sand on this, and we will act with all our might against it," Netanyahu said.