Benjamin Netanyahu: Hamas and Iran's Proxy Groups Will Pay the Price for Escalating Tensions

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, responded on Sunday to threats from a Hamas leader regarding escalating tensions over the weekend, stating that anyone who engages in terrorist activities will "pay the full price." On Friday, Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, told a Lebanese news agency that any targeted killings of the group's leaders by Israelis would spark a "regional war." Netanyahu, at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, said, "I have heard the rhetoric of al-Arouri, a senior Hamas official, from his hideout in Lebanon. He knows very well why he and his colleagues are in hiding." Referring to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are under Hamas control, Netanyahu stated, "Hamas and other Iranian proxy groups understand well that we will fight with all our resources against their efforts to use terrorism against us in Judea and Samaria, Gaza, and anywhere else." He added, "Anyone who wishes to harm us, anyone who finances and organizes, anyone who sends terrorists against Israel, will pay the full price." The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu's reference to "anywhere else" and "Iranian proxies" echoed similar statements he made recently, indicating that Israel's response to terrorist attacks could include actions beyond its borders or the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Al-Arouri's threat came after the formation of Israel's security cabinet last week and following several recent deadly terrorist attacks in the West Bank, which Netanyahu's office later announced that his ministers had agreed on "a series of decisions to target terrorists and authorized the Prime Minister and Defense Minister to act in this regard." The newspaper noted that no details about these decisions were provided, but leaked information from the meeting suggested that the resumption of targeted assassinations is one of the necessary actions. Al-Arouri, referencing recent threats from Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, against Israel, stated that Hamas is "preparing for an all-out war and we are closely discussing the outlook for this war with all relevant parties." Al-Arouri claimed, "A comprehensive war would be a defeat for Israel." His remarks came days after Arabic-language media reported that leaders of this terrorist group in the Gaza Strip were taking stricter precautions due to concerns about being targeted by Israel. The Times of Israel also reported that alongside the disclosure of information from the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu and the Defense Minister have recently accused "Iran and its cancerous proxy groups" of being behind the increase in attacks, raising the likelihood that Israel could extend its operations beyond the West Bank. Hamas claims to have launched missiles with a range of 250 kilometers towards the sea. American lawmakers visited the "Hezbollah tunnels" in Israel; Voice of America reported on conditions at the Lebanon border. Israel rejected the possibility of establishing a consulate for the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem. Hamas sentenced seven Palestinians to death for "collaborating with Israel." Construction of a security wall at the Jordan border; Israel combats arms smuggling from Iran. A Palestinian attacker injured five Israelis; Hamas and Islamic Jihad: it was heroic.