Israel issues 36-hour ultimatum to Hamas

Israeli authorities have presented the Hamas movement with a 36-hour ultimatum: if they do not stop firing rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip, they will expand the military operation.

Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said in an interview with the Israeli army radio station that if Hamas does not stop shelling Israeli territory and illegally supplying the Gaza Strip with weapons, the matter may come to a “completely military solution” to the issue, Arutz Sheva reports.

“We are at a crossroads. We are faced with either a calming of the situation or an intensification of the operation, including the issue of a completely military solution to the problem,” Steinitz said.

Last week on Wednesday, after a series of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, Israelresponded with targeted strikes , which killed several Palestinians, including Hamas military commander Ahmed Jabari. This launched the Israeli Operation Pillar of Cloud .