The preventive attack launched on Sunday in the Gaza Strip against an Islamic Jihad terrorist is an escalation, a move on the scale of Israel’s response ladder.

At the top of the decision ladder is the widespread attack, on the scale of “Operation Cast Lead” or “Operation Pillar of Defense.”

On the bottom rung, where we stand today, Israel was satisfied with shifting formal responsibility onto the Hamas government, temporarily restricting movement of goods and fuel from Israel into the strip, and bombing military assets and symbols of Hamas’ authority in order to prompt Haniyeh and his operational assets to act against the rogue organizations and militants firing into our territory.

This was our reality ever since “Operation Pillar of Defense” ended, but when launchings from Gaza are being carried once a day on average – even if no injuries are reported – the IDF and the Shin Bet received permission from the prime minister and defense minister to move on to preventative targeted killings.

Read the article in full at Ynet.