Netanyahu Says Ready to Expand Gaza Operation, Arab League to Hold Emergency Meeting Saturday
Israel sent a "clear message" to Hamas through the killing of its top military commander and is ready to widen its operation in Gaza if necessary, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday.
"Today we sent a clear message to Hamas and other terrorist organizations, and if it becomes necessary we are prepared to expand the operation," he said in a televised address.
Speaking hours after a major wave of air strikes pounded militant targets in the Gaza Strip, killing top Hamas commander Ahmed Jaabari and six other people, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would not tolerate any further rocket fire on its territory.
"Hamas and the terror organizations have chosen to escalate their attacks on the citizens of Israel in recent days. We will not tolerate a situation in which Israeli citizens are threatened by rocket fire," he said after consultations with his security cabinet.
The strikes came after five days of rising tensions along the Gaza border which began on Saturday when Palestinian militants fired an anti-tank rocket at an army jeep, sparking Israeli fire which killed seven and caused militants to fire more than 120 rockets over the border.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the strike was only the beginning of an operation whose goals were to strengthen Israel's deterrence, damage militant groups' rocket-firing capabilities and stamp out attacks on southern Israel.
"Israel doesn't want a war but the Hamas provocation of recent weeks, with recurring, frequent rounds of mortar and rockets fired at southern Israel, an explosive tunnel that was activated.. and anti-tank fire at a jeep in Israel, forced us to act sharply and decisively," Barak said.
"We are at the beginning, not end of this action," he said, stressing the need to be "on high alert in Israel and West Bank ... It won't be a quick fix.. but we'll reach goals we set for this operation."
He urged regional leaders to act "judiciously and with a cool head to promote stability and return of quiet, and not to be dragged to their deterioration."
Shortly after his remarks, Egypt, which has a 1979 peace treaty with Israel, announced it was recalling its ambassador to the Jewish state in the wake of the Gaza air strikes.
Meanwhile, the Arab League's deputy chief announced that foreign ministers will convene an emergency meeting on Saturday to respond to Israeli air strikes in Gaza.
"The meeting will be convened on Saturday, based on requests from Egypt and Palestine," Ahmed Ben Hilli told AFP.
The league announced its decision after Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi recalled the ambassador to Israel following Wednesday's Gaza events.
Source: Agence France Presse
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