Worthy Christian News > Israel-Palestinian Conflict > Netanyahu: Israel has set Hamas back by years

Netanyahu: Israel has set Hamas back by years

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Tuesday that the preceding nine days of airstrikes on Gaza have “set Hamas back by years,” BBC News reports. Israel’s ongoing bombardment of specific Hamas terror targets in Gaza has been a response to thousands of rockets indiscriminately fired from the Strip at Israeli cities.

The Prime Minister made his remarks following an assessment of the situation at the IDF Southern Command headquarters and the Hatzerim Air Force Base. In a video address tweeted by his office Tuesday, Netanyahu Israel’s current military campaign has inflicted on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad “blows they did not expect.”

“I have no doubt we set them back by years,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue [the campaign] as long as needed in order to restore the quiet to all citizens of Israel,” the PM added.

As of Tuesday, the Israeli military said some 3,300 rockets had been fired at Israel, with around 450-500 falling short.

While the Iron Dome successfully dispatched thousands of missiles, this year’s rocket attack on Israel by Hamas has caused an unprecedented number of deaths and injuries in the country. For the first time, Hamas missiles have consistently reached deep into Israeli cities, and twelve people, including two children, have been killed in Israel.

According to the Gaza health ministry, 215 people, including children, have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes aimed at Hamas terror infrastructure, BBC News said. Hamas does not reveal how many of its operatives are dead.