Warning to Hamas about 'Dragging Israel into Another War in Gaza'

As Israel conducts new airstrikes on Gaza following Palestinian attempts to launch rockets from Gaza into southern Israel, Israel's Minister of Military Affairs has warned Hamas that 'dragging Israel into another war in Gaza would mean the final war and the destruction of Hamas.' According to Israeli media, a spokesperson for the military announced that Israeli fighter jets attacked targets in Gaza in the early hours of Monday, November 3. The spokesperson stated that 'terrorist infrastructure' was targeted, but did not provide further details. Reports indicate that just an hour earlier, there had been another attempt by Palestinians to launch rockets into southern Israel. This incident coincided with the most significant religious holiday for Jews, which holds sacred significance. The Israeli army claims that regardless of the damage caused by rocket attacks, it holds Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, 'responsible.' In recent weeks, following each rocket attack from Gaza into southern Israel, the Israeli Air Force has responded by attacking targets in Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas leaders have stated that they do not wish to escalate the situation and have identified and warned Salafi and Wahhabi jihadists who have 'independently' carried out these rocket attacks. In this context, Avigdor Lieberman, the right-wing Israeli government minister and head of the Ministry of Defense, stated in an interview with a Palestinian newspaper that 'any further war by Israel in Gaza will be our last war with Hamas.' Lieberman said on Sunday, November 2, in an interview with the Al-Quds newspaper, published in East Jerusalem, that he does not accept the imposition of another war and that it will be turned into 'the last war' in Gaza, aiming to eliminate Hamas. He also mentioned that if Hamas ceases tunnel construction and aggression, it will see that Israel 'will be the first factor to invest in strengthening Gaza's infrastructure in terms of water, electricity, and energy, and in building a port and airport.' Lieberman, who has opposed former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to withdraw Israel from Gaza eleven years ago, stated in the interview with Al-Quds that he accepts the current situation and that Israel should no longer take control of Gaza. The last war between Israel and Gaza ended in the summer of 2014, resulting in the deaths of over 2,400 Palestinians and massive destruction in Gaza, with nearly 100,000 of the war's homeless still in need of global humanitarian assistance. Lieberman also mentioned in the interview that 'Israel has no intention of entering another war in Lebanon and Syria, but we will always defend the interests and security of our people.' In the interview with Al-Quds, the Israeli Minister of Military Affairs proposed 'land and city exchanges' to achieve peace with the Palestinians. Lieberman's formula in such a deal involves continuing Israeli control over Jewish settlements built in the West Bank in exchange for giving cities in northern and southern Israel to Palestinians, where generations of Arabs from 1948 live. Meanwhile, the interview conducted by Al-Quds with the right-wing Israeli minister has been criticized by many Palestinians, who have labeled it as 'giving a platform' to one of the most violent politicians in Israel in social media. However, a reporter from Radio Farda in the region states that interviews by Israeli media with Palestinian leaders, including Hamas leaders and commanders, are a normal occurrence for Israeli public opinion.