Liberman: Time To Take Off ‘Kid Gloves’ On Gaza

Israel has exhausted its options in trying to reach a deal with Hamas and a military strike against the terror organization is required in order to put a stop to months of violence, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday during a tour of the Gaza Belt with senior IDF commanders.

“Everyone understands that the situation today cannot continue. We cannot accept violence week after week. The Defense Ministry used kiddy gloves before the violence began, including with international organizations,” said Liberman,  “We have exhausted all of our options,” he added.

According to Liberman, he became convinced of the futility of trying to reach a deal with Hamas after it responded violently to a humanitarian gesture by Israel last week, when it allowed trucks of Qatari funded fuel to enter the Gaza strip, and Hamas’ political leader stated that they won’t stop the riots.

“The change came last Friday. We allowed tanks of diesel to enter Gaza and, in return, we are facing the kind of violence that we have not seen in a long time,” he said. “We also saw Haniyeh saying: ‘Diesel and salaries are not going to stop the violence until the blockade is lifted.”