President Rivlin Tells EU Envoys That Israel Will Not Tolerate Violence From Palestine

TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2021) Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told ambassadors of the EU member states during a briefing that his country would not tolerate violence from Palestine.

On Monday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling on the international community to condemn the recent rocket fire launched from the Gaza Strip and "Palestinian terrorism targeting Israeli citizens in the strongest manner," as well as to support Israel's right of self-defense.

"We will always protect and preserve freedom of religion and of worship, but we will not allow violence and disruption that threaten the safety of all Jerusalemites - Jews, Christians and Muslims alike," Rivlin said, as quoted by his press office.

Commenting on the rocket attack, the president said that no country in the world would allow such a situation.

"We will never accept this reality. We will protect our citizens by all necessary means," Rivlin added.

On Tuesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said that over 200 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel, around a third of them exploding without reaching Israel's territory. Israel responded by striking 130 targets of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group, including two tunnels, a Hamas intelligence facility and weapons manufacturing and storage sites in Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has since approved the call-up of 5,000 reserve soldiers as the Israeli military prepared for a large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip amid the escalation of tensions.