Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday warned Hamas that Israel will not abide terrorist attacks of any kind.
Speaking at the state memorial service honoring the 67 IDF soldiers and six civilians who were killed during Operation Protective Edge, a 50-day war between Israel and the terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip that took place in 2014, Bennett said, "Gaza Strip will have to get used to a different Israeli approach - proactive, aggressive if necessary, innovative. We will not tolerate violence; we will not tolerate sporadic [fire]. Our enemies should know the rules, and they should know that our patience is running thin.
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"Those living in communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip are not second-class citizens. The residents of Sderot, Ashkelon and Kfar Aza are entitled to live in peace and security," Bennett said, referring to both the rocket attacks and the continued incidents of arson terrorism plaguing Israel's southern communities.
"Our rivalry is not with the Gaza population. We have no intention to harm those who did not rise up against us to kill us. We do not hate those held hostage by a cruel and violent terrorist organization," the prime minister added.
Bennett also addressed the bereaved families: "Fathers and mothers – it is important to me that you know that your sons, in their deaths, saved many lives, it was a matter of days."
He also addressed the issue of the Israelis held captive in Gaza, saying that his government will spare no effort to bring them home.
Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul and Lt. Hadar Goldin were killed in the Gaza Strip in separate battles during the 2014 conflict. Ethiopian Israeli Avera Mengistu and Bedouin Israeli Hisham al-Sayed, both suffering from mental health issues, crossed into Gaza willingly in 2014 and 2015 and were captured by Hamas.
"The seven years in which Hamas has been holding Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul are seven years too long. We will do everything within our power to bring them home. We were there when we sent them in there [into Gaza] and it is our duty to spare no effort to bring them back," he said.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu, outgoing President Reuven Rivlin and President-elect Isaac Herzog also attended the service.
Earlier Sunday, Goldin's parents, Leah and Simcha, send a letter to the members of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi in which they demanded that a prisoner exchange deal be part of any ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Demanding action, they accused the previous government of "abandoning the captives in Gaza – something that grossly erodes the principle of mutual guarantee in Israel, which is also a core principle in the IDF's doctrine."
They also accused the previous government of "Setting up a diplomatic mechanism that bolsters Hamas' rule in Gaza by providing it with supplies and construction materials via Israeli land crossings, and cash via Qatar."
The Goldins further asserted that "only by striking a prisoner exchange deal will we be able to rehabilitate the principle of mutual guarantee in Israeli society and reassure the public that those who fight for the country's security will not be left behind."
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