Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar told Israel Radio on Saturday that Hamas has sustained heavy damage from IDF operations in recent days. The IDF continue to strike Hamas, he added, "we will not permit sporadic shootings or the disruption of life" inside Israel.
"We won't give up our right to defend ourselves, and will continue to operate, under full consideration, to implement a principle of defending our citizens".
In a conference call with the foreign press, Sa’ar stated that the western Negev “is an area that over the past years we have worked systematically to establish protection for it and these schools are built up to security standards. In farther away places like Ashkelon the situation is different.”
Sa’ar said the real danger that would be faced by school children in the western Negev is on the way to and from school, a day after a 16-year-old student was critically injured when his school bus was hit by an anti-tank missile. No other children were on the bus at the time it was hit.
The Iron Dome counter-rocket defense system intercepted 10 Katyusha and Kassam rockets over the weekend that were fired in the direction of Ashkelon and Beersheba, where the two batteries are deployed.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak called the successful interception by the missile defense system “an extraordinary achievement for the IDF.”
Defense officials said more than 20 Hamas operatives were killed over the weekend and that dozens of others were wounded by a series of air strikes against Hamas positions, bases and launch sites.
The IAF carried out at least 46 strikes in Gaza.
“They have been hit hard and we will continue to strike at them as long as the rocket and terrorist attacks continue,” a senior defense official said on Saturday night.
Defense officials said the current operation was designed to create a new balance of power with Hamas. The officials said that the deterrence created following Operation Cast Lead two years ago has eroded and as a result it was necessary to create new understandings with the terrorist organization in Gaza.
Defense officials said the current operation was designed to create a new balance of power with Hamas. The officials said that the deterrence created following Operation Cast Lead two years ago has eroded and as a result it was necessary to create new understandings with the terrorist organization in Gaza.