They started it, we will finish it: Israeli PM Netanyahu warns Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel has “only started” a fierce offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to an unprecedented Hamas attack.

Israeli Prime Minister  said that retaliation has “only started,” and “what we will do to the enemy will echo down through generations.”

Netanyahu delivered the pronouncement in a nationally televised address as Israel pressed ahead with a third day of heavy airstrikes in Gaza.

“We have only started striking Hamas,” he said. “What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.”

In a stern warning to Hamas, Netanyahu on Tuesday said that , “Israel is at war. We didn’t want this war. It was forced upon us in the most brutal and savage way. But though Israel didn’t start this war, Israel will finish it”.  Netanyahu lashed out Hamas saying that they will pay the price and will remember the same for a long time.

“Hamas will understand that by attacking us, they have made a mistake of historic proportions. We will exact a price that will be remembered by them and Israel’s other enemies for decades to come,” he said .

Branding Hamas as ISIS, he called on the “forces of civilisation” to unite against the Hamas and defeat it.

“Hamas is ISIS. And just as the forces of civilization united to defeat ISIS, the forces of civilization must support Israel in defeating Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

Hamas military unit attacks Ashkelon after setting deadline for citizens to leave
 

Hamas military unit attacks Ashkelon after setting deadline for citizens to leaveHamas had earlierwarned residents of Israeli city of Ashkelon to vacate by 5pm (local time). Since then the Hamas fighters have begun attacking the city with rocket fires. 

This comes after Israel heavily bombarded the Gaza city reducing it to rubbles, leaving no safe space for the civilians. Air raid sirens have sounded across Israel — the military says more than 4,500 rockets have been fired since Saturday. 

Hamas says it won't negotiate on the hostages it has taken from Israel until the “end of the battle.”

Israel and Lebanon trade border fire

Lebanese state media reported that a new barrage of rockets originated from southern Lebanon and targeted Israel. A military source confirmed that this attack prompted a retaliatory response. This marks the third consecutive day of hostilities in the border region, following an unprecedented multi-pronged attack by Hamas militants from the besieged Gaza Strip against Israel's southern area over the weekend.