JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Israel will respond to any attacks against its citizens and soldiers, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Wednesday in a televised address to the nation.
Israel holds Hamas and Lebanon responsible for the recent attacks on its citizens that began with a Grad missile fired from Gaza at Ashkelon last week and continued with Monday's rocket attack on Eilat and Aqaba and Tuesday's attack on Israeli soldiers deployed near the Lebanese border, Netanyahu said.
"Do not test our determination to protect Israeli citizens and soldiers," Netanyahu warned. "Our policy is clear. Israel will respond and will continue to respond to any attack against its citizens and soldiers."
Referring to Monday's rocket attacks on Eilat and Aqaba, Netanyahu recalled a similar incident that occurred in April. "We investigated both incidents and proved beyond a doubt that a Hamas military wing cell in Gaza launched the rockets in both cases," he said.
"The use of a third country's territory, who lives in peace with Israel, in order to launch rockets at Israel, will not help Hamas in escaping responsibility. Israel views the attacks against its citizens with extreme severity, as well as the attempt to destabilize Israel's relations with Egypt and Jordan," Netanyahu declared.
Concluding his speech, Netanyahu issued a warning. "Whoever shoots at Israeli citizens, and it doesn't matter from where, we will find them and hit them hard."
