Netanyahu: We Will Not Tolerate Any Fire From the Gaza Strip

Following the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on Friday night, and Israel’s prompt retaliation, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu restated the national security policy on Sunday morning at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.

“Our policy regarding the Gaza Strip is clear. Israel will not accept rocket fire of any kind from the strip towards its territory,” Netanyahu declared. “The IDF will respond to any such provocation. Israel holds Hamas responsible for all firing carried out in the Gaza Strip at Israel; Hamas must prevent such firing.

“I expect an answer from the Attorney General to my query regarding the expulsion of terrorists’ families to Gaza. In parallel to that effort, we are studying the possibility of moving the residences of terrorists’ families within Yehudah and Shomron.”

The Prime Minister also discussed shutting down news broadcasts that spread bias against Israel. “We are taking action against media channels which encourage the murder of Israelis and Jews. Over the weekend I spoke with French President Francois Hollande. I had previously contacted him and requested that the French broadcasts of the Al Aqsa channel be taken off the air, and the channel was indeed removed from these satellites, but it went back to broadcasting via another satellite. We are also taking action in other places and against other channels to halt these broadcasts.

“Over the weekend,” Netanyahu said, “the IDF closed Islamic Jihad’s radio station in Ramallah, which had incited against Israel. There is no question here of freedom of the press, but of halting incitement to murder. At the same time, we will fast-track legislation this week to punish those who employ, assist and house people who are present in Israel illegally. It must be understood that a large proportion of the attackers were residing in Israel illegally or had infiltrated into Israel illegally.

“We are also facing questions about Iran’s violations vis-à-vis ballistic missiles. I have instructed the Foreign Ministry to contact all of the major powers that signed the nuclear agreement with Iran and ask them to implement their commitment to prevent Iran from violating the Security Council’s decisions on the missiles issue. Iran cannot go unpunished for this. I think that this is important in and of itself, but it is also important as a test of the major powers’ determination to enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran and, of course, we expect their answers.”

The prime minister said world powers had pledged to prevent Iran from committing such violations.