Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday hailed Israel’s 11-day bombardment of Palestinian armed teams in Gaza as an “distinctive success”, after a ceasefire to end the deadly conflict took effect.
“We achieved our goals in the operation,” Netanyahu mentioned of the marketing campaign primarily focused at Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, and Islamic Jihad, the second largest armed group within the enclave.
The hawkish premier mentioned “the general public doesn’t know all the pieces” about Israel’s gains in the operation “and neither does Hamas.”
Gaza’s well being ministry has put the loss of life toll from Israel’s air strikes at 243.
Netanyahu mentioned Israel’s strikes had killed “greater than 200 terrorists” in Gaza, including 25 senior commanders.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz added that Israel’s operation followed plans that had “been prepared for years and months”.
The pre-dawn ceasefire brokered by Egypt and agreed by Israel, Hamas and Islamic Jihad gave the impression to be holding Friday.
Egypt has mentioned it would monitor the truce.
Gantz warned Hamas it might pay a “heavy, very heavy” price if it breached the ceasefire.
In total, Palestinian groups fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel, killing 12 people.
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