Netanyahu: “No international pressure will prevent us from striking the terrorists who are attacking us”

We develop missile-defense systems to protect our citizens, while they use their citizens to protect their missiles. pic.twitter.com/ac4Rki5Kaa
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 11, 2014

JERUSALEM (NYT) — Brushing aside criticism of Israel’s four-day-old aerial attacks on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday he felt no international pressure to quit the operation and would not rule out a ground invasion to stop the barrages of rockets from Palestinian militants.

“We are weighing all possibilities and preparing for all possibilities,” Mr. Netanyahu told reporters at a news conference in Tel Aviv. Mr. Netanyahu, who has spoken with the leaders of the United States, Russia and the United Nations among others since Israel began the aerial assaults, also said the Israelis had hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza and still had more to go.

“No international pressure will prevent us from striking the terrorists who are attacking us,” Mr. Netanyahu was quoted by news agencies as saying.

He spoke as Palestinian health officials in Gaza reported at least eight more deaths from Israeli airstrikes early Friday, pushing the number of fatalities toward 100, many of them civilians, including women and children. Hundreds more have been reported wounded, and neither side has shown any inclination to de-escalate.

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