Palestinian terrorists launched rockets at Israel on Sunday, marking a violation of the mostly stable ceasefire that has taken hold since Israel completed its Operation Pillar of Defense last November, which saw Jerusalem substantially
degrade the advanced weaponry and military leadership of the Palestinian Hamas faction. The rocket launched was widely blamed on the Iran-backed terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and Israel subsequently targeted PIJ military assets in the Gaza Strip. Analysts suggested that PIJ had been activated by Iran to undermine stability in the region, in no small part to distract from vociferous criticism being leveled at Tehran and its proxies over their role in bolstering Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime.

Israel vowed today to respond to future launches as well, lest the barrages return to levels seen on the eve of Pillar of Defense:

“Yesterday, rockets were fired against our communities and we immediately responded,” the premier said. “My policy is to harm anyone who is trying to hurt us.” Netanyahu said Israel would not permit a trickle of rocket fire to go unanswered. “Nothing will be allowed to drip or accumulate,” he said.

The inability of any Palestinian government to prevent rocket launches by subnational groups in the Gaza Strip has been cited as a key complicating factor in Palestinian pretentions toward statehood, which would require among other things the ability to enforce military control over territories that they reserve for a state.

[Photo: AFP / Youtube]