Lapid says Israel is strong, Hamas weak and crumbling

Finance Minister Yair Lapid says in an interview with Israel Radio that Israel has a distinct advantage in this round of fighting as Hamas is currently “weak and crumbling.” While he won’t comment on any specific measures the IDF plans to take, he warns that no Hamas member is safe.

“First and foremost, the aim is to calm the south and allow citizens living there to get up in the morning and be able to send their kids to summer school,” he says.

“It is exacting a price that is unacceptable from citizens of the south, but our aim is to find the most effective way to return calm to the south,” Lapid adds.

“We will do this with strength and power but part of having power means you act in the right way and not just according to the voices shouting from the crowd,” he added, alluding to calls from cabinet hardliners for a full-scale ground assault on Gaza.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor Party) acknowledges that the launch of dozens of rockets last night represented a serious escalation, and Israel has no choice but to “strike a blow to the head of Hamas.”

Herzog says he is confident that Israel is better prepared to handle this round of fighting than in the past, but also cautions that in order to restore quiet, the government must avoid making false promises such as re-conquering Gaza or toppling the Hamas government.

Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar says a major operation was necessary because Israel’s deterrence has eroded. Addressing ongoing clashes between Arab Israeli protesters and Israeli security forces, Sa’ar commends Arab community, saying they are acting responsibly to cool tensions and that only a minority are participating in riots.

— AFP contributed