Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz warned on Monday that Israel will adopt a ”zero tolerance” policy to continued violence from the Gaza Strip after ending its 38-year occupation of the Palestinian territory.
”If terrorist organisations launch any kind of attacks against Israeli civilians from the Gaza Strip, we will react,” Mofaz told a news conference. ”From now on, it’s zero tolerance to terrorism, and the army is prepared to act in every possible way.
”The Palestinians understand perfectly that our policy has changed,” said Mofaz, refusing to specify the nature or intensity of future Israeli reprisals should militants fire mortars or rockets into Israel from Gaza.
”We will react and talk afterwards,” said the hawkish Mofaz.
But his Deputy Minister of Defence, Zeev Boim, declared that Israel will treat any future rocket or mortar attack from Gaza as tantamount to an act of aggression of one state against another, which will be met by artillery fire.
”The rules of the game have changed. After 38 years, the Gaza Strip is under Palestinian Authority control. From this point of view, fire on Israeli towns is the same as artillery fire from one state against another,” he said.
”If Israeli towns are subject to rocket attacks, we will respond towards the source of fire by artillery fire,” the junior minister told public radio.
Israeli troops were deploying to new positions just outside the Gaza Strip after about 3 000 soldiers left the Palestinian territory on Monday.
The government is also set to complete a triple-strength separation barrier fortified by electronic surveillance by early next year as well as two new permanent military bases just outside Gaza, military sources have said.
Despite the departure of the last Israeli soldier, the Palestinians insist the Gaza Strip remains occupied as Israel retains control of its land borders, air space and territorial waters. — Sapa-AFP