Israel issued in February a series of threats against Hamas in the Gaza Strip that would include a harsh military operation. Although Hamas has repeatedly heard such statements in the past, the recent threats include new and recurring terms such as “sudden operation” and “hot spring.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened March 1 in an interview on Channel 12 to launch a sudden operation on Gaza. He said, “We will not hasten to a war, but we have surprises in store — like toppling Hamas.”