Minister of Communications Yoaz Hendel (New Hope) was interviewed on Radio 103FM on Thursday and commented about the security policy of the State of Israel.
"We must always respond to firing in the direction of Israel and violations of sovereignty. Israel has been an expert in firing at sand dunes in recent years, and we have to go through other processes. The State of Israel has become accustomed to putting out fires and nothing more," he said.
On Monday, the Islamic Jihad terror group fired rockets at the city of Sderot in southern Israel. The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted the launch, which Islamic Jihad claimed was in retaliation for the deaths of two terrorists who engaged IDF soldiers in a shootout.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a situational assessment in the Gaza Division in which he stressed, "Our mission is to provide long-term security for the residents of the south and the residents of the Gaza Strip. We will act at a time, place and under conditions that suit us, and not anyone else."
"As far as we are concerned, the address in Gaza is Hamas. No one was rebelling against them and there is no one else, only Hamas," he added.
Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz have reportedly ordered the IDF to refrain from retaliating to the rocket attack on Sderot.
This order stands in contrast to the prevailing practice in recent years, including during the previous government’s term of office, when the IDF responded to every single instance of rocket fire out of Gaza, including to the launching of incendiary balloons. Sometimes the response was merely “symbolic” but the IDF was always particular to respond in some manner to terrorist attacks.