Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would not hesitate to launch a large-scale military campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, should such an operation be deemed necessary.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his flight to Kiev for a two-day state visit, Netanyahu vowed to take whatever steps were necessary to protect the lives of Israeli citizens.
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"I have heard comments that I will refrain from a major [military] campaign because of the elections," Netanyahu said.
"This is not true ... If necessary, we will launch a major campaign, with or without elections," he said.
The comments came just hours after three rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel overnight on Saturday. Two of the three rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile-defense system.
Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued a statement calling Israel's latest actions a "declaration of war," according to Channel 12 News.
Reports emerged Saturday night that the Israel Defense Forces opened fire at armed suspects along Gaza's northern barrier, apparently killing four Gazans.
The incident occurred several hours after rockets were fired toward southern Israeli communities, marking the second night in a row that residents were sent dashing to bomb shelters.
Hamas spokesman Abd Latif al-Qanou also responded Sunday morning to the incident along the Gaza border, saying Israel's strike was a "despicable crime."
"The occupation continues to use extreme force and is committing crimes against the Palestinian people and its youth by blockading Gaza, occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank," al-Qanou said, Channel 12 reported.
Hamas added that the armed deceased were young adults who expressed their inner fury amid Israel's policies.
"The might of the wrath and pressure will explode in the face of the occupation if the blockade on Gaza won't be lifted," Hamas continued, according to Channel 12, and added, "We hold the Zionist regime responsible for all the crimes against our people. The international community's silence encourages the occupation to continue its blockade on the [Gaza] Strip and to commit more crimes."
According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least three Palestinians were killed in the incident but later Hamas announced that the number had increased to four.
With only a month remaining until Israel's general election, Netanyahu's political rivals attacked the prime minister on Sunday for his response to the attacks over the weekend.
On Facebook, Yisrael Beytenu party leader and former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Netanyahu "is an excellent presenter and campaigner, but a weak leader that lacks leadership and the ability to make decisions in times of real crises."
On a visit to Israeli communities in the Gaza periphery area on Sunday morning, Blue and White leader and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said Israel's "deterrence hasn't been eroded, it's been erased," according to Ynet news.
"We will defeat Hamas militarily, we'll bring quiet to the residents of the south, and will not allow this to spill over into the West Bank," Gantz said.
His fellow Blue and White member Gabi Ashkenazi, also a former IDF chief of staff, called Netanyahu "weak." He said that the prime minister was only worried about himself and was only interested in there being quiet ahead of the election.
Visiting the scene of a ramming attack in Gush Etzion, Naftali Bennet of the Yamina faction formerly known as the United Right, said, "We need to move on to a policy of persistent attacks, pursuing the terror leaders," according to Ynet. "They have to start fearing for their lives," he said.
