Mofaz calls for resumption of targeted assassinations in Gaza

Israel’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee chairman in the Knesset has said that Israel must return to the policy of targeted assassinations in the Gaza Strip, stressing that “anyone who harms the Israelis must be held personally responsible.”

During a meeting held at the municipality of occupied Bir Saba’a, MK Shaul Mofaz, who previously served as Defence Minister, said, “Israel cannot hide behind the Iron Dome defence system while life goes on in Gaza.”

---

“We must maintain our ability to attack and preserve the IDF’s role as a deterrent. Without a deterrent, the Palestinian organizations are the ones that will dictate the agenda,” Mofaz added.

The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, had suggested that the Israeli army would likely escalate its attacks on the Gaza Strip and restart assassination operations targeting the leadership of Palestinian factions and resistance forces.

Haaretz writers, Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, wrote that Israel has made a limited response to rockets launched at targets in southern Israel from Gaza and expected Israeli military operations to increase following Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s return from Russia. They reported that one of the military steps being considered in Tel Aviv currently is returning to the policy of the targeted killing of leaders of Palestinian factions in the Strip.

The de facto settlement or truce that has maintained quiet in the south for two years may be ending and if calm is restored, it won’t last long, the Haaretz writers concluded.