Netanyahu orders ‘firm action’ after Hamas attack on IDF troops in Rafah; Terrorist group denies responsibility – The Yeshiva World
Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered Israel’s defense establishment to take “firm action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip” following an attack on IDF troops in Rafah on Sunday morning, his office said.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu issued the directive during a meeting with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, after Palestinian terrorists fired RPGs and sniper fire at Israeli soldiers operating in southern Gaza.
Katz said he had asked the IDF “to act forcefully against Hamas terrorist targets in Gaza,” warning that “Hamas will learn today the hard way that the IDF is determined to protect its soldiers and prevent them from being harmed.”
The defense minister added that “Hamas will pay a heavy price for any firing or violation of the ceasefire, and if the message is not understood, the intensity of the responses will increase.”
A military source said more than 20 targets have been hit in Gaza since the Rafah attack. The Israeli military described the strikes as a response to direct fire on its troops and said operations in the area were continuing.
The Hamas terror group has denied responsibility, saying its fighters in Rafah were acting independently. “We are committed to the ceasefire in all areas of the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement, asserting that it had “no connection” with the incident and that communications with the Rafah region had been cut “since last March.”
(World Headquarters – New York)
