BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the campaign in Gaza is not over.

Four Israelis were killed when 690 missiles were fired at Israel from Gaza. The attacks began on Saturday morning and ended in the early hours of Monday morning. The Israeli Air Force bombed 350 Hamas and Islamic jihad sites in Gaza. 25 Palestinians were killed but the Israeli army said many were Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives.

Despite a ceasefire being agreed at 04:30 on Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel is prepared to continue with the conflict. He said: “The goal has been – and remains – ensuring quiet and security for residents of the south. I send condolence to the families and best wishes for recovery to the wounded.”

Netanyahu was heavily criticised for agreeing a ceasefire with Hamas. Netanyahu’s Likud rival Gideon Saar tweeted: “The cease-fire, under the circumstances in which it was achieved, is bereft of Israeli achievements. The intervals between the rounds of violent attacks on Israel and its civilians are gradually becoming shorter, and the terror organisations in Gaza are growing stronger between them. The war hasn’t been averted, only postponed.”

Benny Gantz blamed the loss of Israel’s deterrence for the escalation. He said: “The only thing that the government has done, once again, is to lay the next war at our doorstep.” Moshe Yaalon said: “The murderers from Gaza decide whether and how the citizens of the State of Israel will live, do as they please and exact extortion payments. Netanyahu has capitulated once again to the terrorists’ extortion and has bought temporary quiet, only in the service of his political survival.”

Labour leader Avi Gabbay said that for twenty years Netanyahu has “strengthened Hamas” and now began “strengthening Islamic Jihad. Without a long-term political solution, the next round is only a matter of time.”

Writing on the cause of the latest conflict, BICOM CEO James Sorene said: “The simple answer is that Hamas felt it wasn’t getting what it expected from its deal with the Israeli leadership. With Remembrance Day and Independence Day this week and the Eurovision song contest days later, Hamas calculated it could quickly inflict heavy damage and Israel would agree more concessions in a desperate bid to stop the conflict.”