Israel’s policy is to “kill those who plan to kill you”, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday night, responding to the IDF’s elimination of a Gaza terrorist who planned to carry out deadly attacks in Israel.
"Our policy is clear - kill those who rise up to kill us. The IDF and the ISA (Shin Bet -ed.) carried out a precise operation and will continue to take strong action against all those who try to attack the security of Israel's citizens,” said Netanyahu.
“This is the true face of Hamas; it is continuing to plan terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens even as it inside the Palestinian government,” he continued.
“I would like to remind the international community that [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas] - on the day he formed a government with the Hamas terrorist organization - promised to honor all previous agreements. This means that he is responsible for disarming Hamas and the other terrorist organizations of the arsenals in Gaza," declared Netanyahu.
Wednesday night’s airstrike targeted terrorist Mohammed Awar, who the IDF said had been involved in rocket attacks on Israel and had also served as member of the Hamas police force in Gaza, said the IDF.
The terrorist group of which he was a member carried out rocket attacks on communities surrounding Gaza and on Sderot on April 21, the statement said. The group was also plotting other terrorist attacks, including a plan to down an Israeli helicopter.
The airstrike came hours after a Kassam rocket fired by terrorists in Gazaexploded in the Eshkol Regional Council area.
No physical injuries or damage were reported as a result of the attack. The rocket fell right near a central highway by one of the communities in the region.
Abbas later condemned the rocket fire from Gaza - not because of the threat to human or Israeli lives, but because of the threat to the Hamas-Fatah unity pact and Palestinian Arab security.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon warned Tuesday that Hamas is preparing for the next clash with Israel, regardless of the recent unity government formed between the terrorist group and Fatah last Monday.
"Hamas signed the reconciliation pact from a position of disadvantage. It has no better alternative,” Ya’alon said during a meeting with soldiers from the IDF’s Gaza Division.
“But make no mistake: Hamas is preparing itself for a confrontation with Israel, training forces and storing missiles and rockets,” he continued. “It already has thousands of missiles and rockets pointed towards Israel."