Several Israeli officials have criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “weak” response to Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza in retaliation to the death of Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan inside Israeli jails on Tuesday.
National Security Minister and head of Otzma Yehudit Party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said: “First, they said there is judicial reform, then Ramadan, but now there is no reason why Israel should shy away from a powerful retaliation.”
Orit Strook from the Religious Zionism Party, said: “The government is following the same path as the previous government; Gaza has not been paying the price for Hamas’ ongoing terrorism.”
While Likud MK Danny Danon tweeted: “Ramadan is over. The excuses are over. There is no longer any reason for restraint. Now is the time to strike hard at those who seek to harm us.”
In an interview with i24NEWS, he said there is a need to “build deterrence,” adding: “The terror organisations were the ones who actually decided when we started this cycle and when we ended.”
“We should have responded with much more intensity and power to send a very clear message to Hamas and the PIJ organisations in Gaza that we will not tolerate attacks against civilians in Israel.”
Head of Sderot settlement, Alon Davidi, said: “Hamas and the [Islamic Jihad] PIJ control the reality of half a million people of Israel’s population, and decide when they open fire and when they stop it. The state of Israel does not initiate or manage anything.”
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Montather Rassoul