The time has come to strike Hamas with the hardest blow

The defense minister said violent riots along the Gaza barrier and incendiary ballooning terrorism left Israel with no choice.

"We have turned every stone and we have passed the point of no return … We have reached the stage where we have to bear the hardest blow imaginable on Hamas," said Lieberman.

Minister of Defense, Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Yaron Brener)

"Before going to war in Gaza, we must exhaust all other options, for which we have made every effort possible … we have tried to exhaust all possibilities",

he explained.

"When you send soldiers to combat, you understand that some of them might not come home, so we have to exhaust all possibilities.When I accepted the position of Defense Minister, I said that Israel did not have the luxury of fighting wars if there is an alternative – only when there is no other choice, he stressed, adding that "the Cabinet will have to decide" whether the potential military operation will continue or not.

"Hamas has turned border violence into a strategic weapon, by which it hopes to erode our deterrent force and put pressure on the Israeli public and government," said the defense minister.

"Hamas is determined to continue the violence until the blockade is fully resolved without reaching an agreement, particularly with regard to the exchange of prisoners, and without renouncing the main article of their report. charter, the destruction of the state of Israel, "he continued. .

(Photo: Yaron Brenner)

On Friday, a group of terrorists blew a hole in the fence and began to advance on Israeli soldiers. The troops opened fire, causing most terrorists to return to the Gaza Strip, and killed three people.
who continued to move forward.

Lieberman declined to say whether it was an attempt to capture an IDF soldier. "There has really been serious violence, including the setting up of explosives, an entry into Israeli territory and everything has ended as planned.No single civilian so scratched", he said, adding that Hamas leader "Haniyeh led the riots and we acted properly."

As a result of border violence Friday, the defense minister ordered the shutdown of Gaza's fuel supply.
"In the morning, we approved the opening of four gas tanks in the Gaza Strip.In the evening we had four fires, 14 incendiary balloon launches, balloons with explosives and (and 16,000 people riot at the border, there is violence and riots, there will be no fuel, "he said.

(Photo: AFP)

The defense minister also referred to statements by senior IDF officials that the readiness of the army for war was flawed.
is not sufficiently reviewed.

"The Israeli army has not been better prepared for war since 1967.
Of course, when you talk about a huge mechanism such as the Israeli army – with 700,000 people and tens of thousands of equipment – there is always something to improve … and in part, I accept the critics, "he admitted.

The defense minister, who strongly defended the death penalty for terrorists, said that such a move would require a policy change, which should be decided by the cabinet. At present, the Attorney General's opposition to condemning terrorists to the death penalty prevents judges from being able to pronounce such a sentence.

In attacking tensions within the coalition over the IDF bill, Lieberman said he was confident the legislation would be easily passed.

"I do not think the current elections are the most necessary thing for the state of Israel," he said, "precisely because of the (security) situation in Gaza, in Judea -Samarie, very complex situation in the north of the country ".

Deputy Minister of Health Litzman, Minister of Defense Lieberman and MP Moshe Gafni (Photos: Hadas Porush / Flash 90, EPA)

He insisted that the proposed bill would not be changed, which led Deputy Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman to threaten to resign.

"I think even representatives of ultra-Orthodox parties understand that this is the only possible option.It's a whole thing, as soon as you start removing one screw, then another, everything could s & # 39; Collapse, "said Lieberman.

He did not want to address the tensions with Bayit Yehudi's chairman, Naftali Bennett, whom he described as "young man from Ra'anana Hill", and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not resign from his post as a result of investigations into allegations of corruption.
should consider this option only when the final verdict will be reached.