Netanyahu: We face a tough and protracted operation

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel is not only bending all its resources to recovering the three abducted teenage boys, but going after Hamas “with all our strength and resolve.”  He vowed that “anyone who harms us, will be harmed.” More than 100 Hamas activists have been detained and more operations are on the way, he said, without elaborating. “We are in the midst of a grave operation with grave ramifications,” he warned

The prime minister, defense minister and chief of staff gave televised statements before another evaluation of the Hebron operation at the Central Command headquarters.
Netanyahu called on the international community to join the US in condemning the kidnappings as a vile act of terror. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said: “Hamas is paying a heavy price for its act of terror and will pay more. We are undoubtedly on the way to a military operation.”
Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said that the IDF, together with all Israel’s security services, will carry on “until we are successful” and is ready to function in all contingencies, whether in the north, the south, the center, by air or by sea.