"The new rules of the game are clear – the IDF will operate freely, without any limitation," Defense Minister Naftali Bennett stated on Thursday, a short while after a ceasefire was brokered between Israel and the Islamic Jihad, ending two days of massive rocket fire from Gaza at southern and central Israel.
He further praised IDF troop and the public, especially the residents of the Gaza border-adjacent communities, saying, "I'm proud of our soldiers, who stand vigilant, and of the Israeli public, especially the residents of the south, who show the kind of resilience that bolsters the decision-makers."
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The latest flare-up followed the targeted killing of top Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata in his Gaza home on Tuesday, for which the Iranian-backed terrorist group vowed an "unprecedented response."
The IDF said Thursday that in the wake of the hit, codenamed "Operation Black Belt," Islamic Jihad fired 450 rockets at Israel in the span of 48 hours. The Iron Dome defense system intercepted 90% of all projectiles aimed at residential areas, the military said.
The Israeli Air Force mounted four waves of airstrikes against Islamic Jihad infrastructure in Gaza, killing 25 terrorists, and eliminating rocket production sites and launching posts.
A senior political source said that the "operation achieved its goal" and Israel "has given nothing" to secure the ceasefire. He added that "the situation on the ground will set the tone going forward. There's no change in policy. If anyone tries to harm us – we will harm them."
UN envoy to the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, said on Thursday morning that "the UN and Egypt have worked hard to prevent the most dangerous escalation in the Gaza Strip from turning into a war.
"The coming hours and days will be critical. All parties must show maximum restraint to prevent more bloodshed. The Middle East needs no more wars."
#BREAKING: #Egypt and the #UN worked hard to prevent the most dangerous escalation in and around #Gaza from leading to #war. The coming hours and days will be critical. ALL must show maximum restraint and do their part to prevent bloodshed. The #MiddleEast does not need more wars
— Nickolay E. MLADENOV (@nmladenov) November 14, 2019
Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Army Radio that he believes the solution for the situation Gaza is to create economic prospects for the Palestinians.
He stressed that Israel must maintain an aggressive policy against those who would threaten it, and added that the fact that Hamas – the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip – did not join the fray indicated that Israel's policy of deterrence was working.
Yesh Atid leader and Blue and White co-founder Yair Lapid, for his part, said that "Israeli deterrence is practically nonexistent. The residents of the south don't feel safe."
The hit on al-Ata, he continued, "Was an extraordinary operational and intelligence achievement, but it was a single event. The compromise with Islamic Jihad is not good and it will only lead to the next round of violence. If you reward Islamic Jihad for firing 400 rockets, Hamas won't be able to sit on its hands. This compromise isn't good because it didn't change anything."
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan blasted Lapid, tweeting, "There's no compromise to speak of, and you know it. Islamic Jihad opted to hold its fire and it got nothing in return. This [the hit] was a proactive, lethal operation by Israel to generate deterrence and it sent terrorists the message that their days are numbered."
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri said that Israel "has no interest in a prolonged round of violence. We're trying to reach understandings with Hamas and you can see that they want that too – they haven't joined the fighting."
Labor MK Itzik Shmuli said Thursday that a diplomatic solution must be devised for the Gaza Strip alongside a military one.
"It's a good thing that Israel sent Bahaa Abu al-Ataa and several of his friends to the next world, but the problem of Gaza remains even after this round of fighting. It's clear that there a military solution for Gaza cannot be the only one, and that alongside it there must be a diplomatic solution of civilian restoration in exchange for the disarming of the Gaza strip. Otherwise, we are already nearing the next round."
