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Israeli minister: We are preparing for a large-scale military operation in Gaza
A senior Israeli minister has stated that the government was preparing for a large-scale military operation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip if there was no alternative.
"Israel is making preparations for the possibility of an expanded military operation in the Gaza Strip if there is no other option," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israel Radio.
"The way Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dealt with what is happening on the borders of the Gaza Strip is firm but responsible and thoughtful," he said.
Steinitz rejected criticism against Netanyahu over his handling of events in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.
He declared that Israel's response to the weekend events in the south was "tough”.
Steinitz noted that there is also an Israeli decision to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria by carrying out hundreds of undeclared attacks.
