Following the Monday morning rocket attack that hit at a home in Moshav Mishmeret in the Sharon region, between Tel Aviv and Netanya, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to shorten his visit to the United States and hurry home to conduct up close the next phase in the encounter with Hamas.
According to Israeli intelligence sources, the only groups in Gaza that have rockets with this kind of range are Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Netanyahu, who had to weigh his duty as commander-in-chief against his opportunity to speak directly to American Jewry, will return to Israel after his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump. He will not speak on Tuesday at the AIPAC conference.
After the shooting, Netanyahu issued a statement saying: “Several minutes ago I concluded a telephone update and consultation with the Chief-of-Staff, the head of the ISA Director and the head of the NSC. There has been a criminal attack on the State of Israel and we will respond forcefully. In light of the security events I have decided to cut short my visit to the US. In a few hours I will meet with President Trump; I will return to Israel immediately afterwards in order to manage our actions from close at hand.”
Haaretz cited Hamas sources who said that senior Hamas figures have gone underground, and Yahya Sinwar canceled a press conference scheduled for today. According to political analyst Adnan Abu Amer, the evacuation of Hamas headquarters is a routine step every time a rocket is being fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel.
The Iron Dome system was not used against the rocket.
Naftali Bennett’s New Right party was quick to capitalize on the attack, which took place at 5:20 AM Israel time. At 8:24 AM Bennett’s party released this combative, anti-Netanyahu statement:
“Israel’s deterrence has collapsed, and it has to be said in all honesty, Netanyahu has failed against Hamas. Releasing terrorists, scared to destroy the homes of terrorists, restraint in the face of the rockets in the south – all of which led Hamas to stop being afraid of Israel.
“Netanyahu is a good prime minister but a failed defense minister. Under his tenure he appointed defense ministers Barak, Ya’alon and Liberman, and himself – and they all failed.
“The time has come to appoint Bennett as defense minister in order to defeat Hamas.”