IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi warned that the military is ready to strike again in the Gaza Strip, as the Hamas-led nighttime riots continued on the border with Israel.
Speaking on Monday night at a ceremony welcoming the new Navy ship Nitzachon (Victory) in Haifa, Kochavi said that “peace and security will allow for an improvement in civilian conditions [in Gaza], but riots and terrorism will lead to a harsh response or an operation.”
“Already with the end of Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF began to prepare for another campaign – we have improved and we continue to improve our attack capabilities in the Gaza Strip and our operational plans,” he stated.
During the 11 days of the operation in May, the IDF was successful in hitting Hamas’ various units and infrastructure, often with pinpoint accuracy.
“If the calm in the south is not maintained – we will not hesitate to embark on another campaign,” he warned.
Hamas responded by stating that “Kochavi’s threats do not frighten our people, the Sword of Jerusalem will not be returned to its sheath.”
“Sword of Jerusalem” is the name Hamas gave to the May campaign.
In the meantime, the Hamas-led riots on Israel’s border continued on Monday night.
The so-called harassment units rioted, set off explosive charges, and made noise through loudspeakers, disturbing Israeli communities in the area.
The IDF responded with crowd dispersal means and tear gas.
Hamas has declared it will step up its attacks on Israel in an attempt to “remove the siege” on Gaza and pressure it into agreeing to various concessions it is demanding from Israel.