Netanyahu warns of more force if Hamas uses rockets following cease-fire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday warned that he would use more force if Hamas continues the use of rockets following a cease-fire.

Netanyahu gave a speech hours before the cease-fire went into effect, according to The Associated Press.

During the speech, the Israeli prime minister said “if Hamas thinks we will tolerate a drizzle of rockets, it is wrong,” AP reported.

The prime minister further said he would respond with “a new level of force against any expression of aggression against communities around Gaza and any other part of Israel.”

The Israeli Security Cabinet approved a cease-fire on Thursday after over a week of rocket fire and missile strikes. The agreement took effect at 2 a.m. on Friday in Israel, or 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.

The agreement seeks to end some of the worst violence between Israel and Hamas since 2014. Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel, which the group said was a response to Israeli police violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites. Israel responded with an air campaign that devastated Gaza’s infrastructure.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Thursday that over 232 Palestinians had died over the 11 days of attacks on the Gaza Strip, including 76 children, 39 women and 17 elderly people. Only 12 people were believed to have been killed in Israel.

President Biden hailed the cease-fire on Thursday, crediting the “intense diplomatic engagement” of his team and the work of other parties in the region in bringing about the cease-fire.