The IDF has not changed its policy of targeted assassinations and will strike at its enemies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet at its weekly meeting, as the shaky cease fire understanding between Israel and Gaza headed into its fourth day.
“I want to clarify again: Israel has not obligated itself to anything," Netanyahu said. "Our security policy has not changed, not even slightly. We have maintained our full freedom of action and we will harm anyone who tries to harm us."
Although he did not expand on his comments, it is presumed that he was referring to details of the ceasefire understanding between the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and the IDF, which was brokered in Cairo by Egypt and the United Nations.
According to details leaked to the media, Israel promised to refrain from any further targeted assassinations. In the last four days, Israel has repeatedly denied that it had made any such promise or that it had made any other concessions to the PIJ, which it holds to be an Iranian proxy.
The initial violence on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week was exclusively between the IDF and the PIJ, and did not involve Hamas.
It is unusual for Hamas to be on the sidelines, given that it has autocratically ruled Gaza since 2007. Hamas had also taken the unusual step last Friday of temporarily cancelling the "Great March of Return" Gaza border protest, in an effort to maintain calm.
Israel, however, has blamed Hamas for the two Palestinian rocket launched at southern Israel from Gaza.
“This weekend, Hamas fired [rockets] at Beersheba," Netanyahu said. "I instructed the IDF to immediately attack Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Again - those who harm us will be harmed. We are prepared for every scenario. The security forces know exactly what they must make do to protect the State of Israel in every arena. We will do everything to ensure Israel's security," he said.