Itongadol.- Netanyahu tells IDF to \’take glove off\’ and prepare for long Gaza operation; Minister: Hamas ignored our ceasefire attempts.
The Israel Air Force attacked 146 terror targets in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, the IDF spokesman said Tuesday evening, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to "take off the gloves" in its confrontation with Hamas.
The army also deployed Artillery Corps troops along the Gaza border, and some 40,000 reservists were called up for the Central and Southern Commands.
Netanyahu placed responsiblity for the current round of fighting on Hamas, and said "Hamas chose escalation and it will pay a heavy price for it."
Senior political sources close to Netanyahu said he has ordered the defense establishment to conduct a "continuous, long and forceful operation in Gaza."
The decision to call up reservists was taken at the request of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, and is intended to allow reservists to take over part of the duties currently being fulfilled by conscripted soldiers, who will now avail themselves to the operation itself.
According to the source, Netanyahu told the IDF to go "all the way," saying "evening a ground operation was currently on the table." According to them, such an operation was far from certain, but that the operation\’s goal was to increase deterrence and deal Hamas a significant blow.