Netanyahu: Israel may expand operations against Hamas

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that, after the Israel Air Force carried out nine overnight counter-terror strikes against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the IDF stood ready to expand this operation if the rocket barrage continues. Saturday, one of those rockets started a blaze in a Sderot paints factory and burnt it to the ground. Four people suffered minor injuries.

Netanyahu also denounced the demonstration staged at the Israeli Arab town of Umm al-Fahm which urged the kidnapping of more Israelis to force Israel to free convicted Palestinian terrorists from jail. The authorities are considering outlawing the extremist “Northern Branch of the Israeli Islamist movement” as a terrorist organization, he said. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman added: “We expect the law and order authorities to act expeditiously to demonstrate that Israeli society will not tolerate this incitement in its midst. Netanyahu