In the wake of renewed rocket fire from Gaza that struck the southern Israeli cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon, Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to immediately expand their operations against Hamas. Declaring that Hamas will pay “a very heavy price” for every act of aggression, Katz’s directive marks a clear escalation in Israel’s efforts to dismantle the Iran-backed terror network responsible for countless attacks on Israeli civilians.
The rocket attacks on Ashdod and Ashkelon represent yet another violation of international law by Hamas, which has relentlessly targeted Israeli population centers since the October 7, 2023, massacre—the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. That massacre, carried out by over 6,000 terrorists and armed Gazan civilians, left more than 1,163 people dead and over 250 kidnapped into Gaza, many of whom remain captive under inhumane conditions.
Defense Minister Katz’s decision to intensify military action signals that Israel has no intention of returning to the failed policy of restraint. Instead, Israel is embracing the doctrine of decisive deterrence: every rocket, every drone, every terror act launched by Hamas or any arm of Iran’s proxy network will be met with overwhelming force.
This renewed IDF campaign builds on the momentum of earlier operations such as Operation Might and Sword, in which over 400 terrorists were eliminated in the opening wave alone. Senior Hamas commanders responsible for orchestrating terror attacks against Israeli civilians were among those killed.
As Hamas continues to exploit Gaza’s civilian population as human shields and uses international aid to fortify its war machine, Israel is making it clear: the Jewish state will not be held hostage by terror. Iran’s strategy—arming Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen—has triggered a multi-front war aimed at Israel’s annihilation.
But the Israeli response is unified, strategic, and relentless.
With Defense Minister Katz vowing that Hamas will face the consequences for every rocket it fires, Israel is once again proving that it will never tolerate attacks on its people—and that terror will always be met with strength.
