Israel can target any of its enemies, no matter where they are, even if they are in their beds, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday afternoon as he issued his first public statement since calm was restored early in the morning between the IDF and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. “The objective of the operation [Black Belt] has already been fully achieved,” Netanyahu said. He explained that its main objective was accomplished early Tuesday morning, when Israel assassinated Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu al-Ata. Over the next 48-hours, it also killed over 20 other PIJ terrorists. “The purpose of the operation was to target the Islamic Jihad commander in the Gaza Strip. He was eliminated and with him dozens of terrorists. Dozens of important Islamic Jihad infrastructure targets were also eliminated,” he said. “Our enemies got the message. We can reach anyone, even in their beds. I hope this lesson has been learned,” said Netanyahu. The Prime Minister spoke as he visited IDF soldiers manning an Iron Dome battery in the south of the country. Netanyahu thanked and all the soldiers involved in the operation for their service. He recognized the resilience of Israeli citizens under fire who followed the orders of the Home Front Command, a move which minimized casualties. In addition, Netanyahu thanked the Shin Bet and the Security Cabinet for taking the bold step of approving the al-Ata assassination. Source
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