Netanyahu Warns Of “Forceful Response” After Gaza Mortar Barrage Hits Israel
Written by Mara Vigevani/TPS on May 29, 2018
Israel will extract a heavy price from anyone who tries to harm it, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday morning, hours after Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorists fired three barrages of mortars at communities along the Gaza Belt.
“The IDF will respond forcefully to the attacks,” Netanyahu said addressing the Galilee Conference in Ma’alot-Tarshiha, adding that Israel views the attacks on its communities with the “utmost gravity.”
The prime minister later tweeted: “Let the world know: Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip continue to attack Israel. Share the truth! Peaceful protests? This morning 57 missiles were fired from Gaza toward Israeli citizens (including a kindergarten).”
Just after seven a.m three missile barrages struck communities along the Gaza Belt region, but no injuries were reported. One of the mortars landed in the courtyard of a nursery school in Kibbutz Ein Ha’Shlosha .
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman convened an urgent cabinet meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot along with the heads of the defense establishment .
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov also commented on the attack from Gaza
“I am deeply concerned by the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian militants from Gaza towards communities in Southern Israel. At least one of which hit in the immediate vicinity of a kindergarten and could have killed or injured children.
“Such attacks are unacceptable and undermine the serious efforts by the international community to improve the situation in Gaza. All parties must exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prevent incidents that jeopardize the lives of Palestinians and Israelis.” Mladenov said
The EU’s ambassador to Israel, Emanuele Giaufret wrote on his Twitter account: “As kids were preparing for school this morning a barrage of rockets from Gaza fell on southern Israel. One landed outside a kindergarten. I know the resilience of communities in southern Israel but indiscriminate attacks are totally unacceptable and to be condemned unreservedly.”