'Next escalation in Gaza will be more violent'

Aharonovitch says the solution to Hamas rocket fire is "to be more aggressive," addresses plans for "aerial flotilla."

Rockets fired from Gaza smoke 390 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Rockets fired from Gaza smoke 390
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The next confrontation between Israel and Palestinian terror organizations in Gaza will be “more violent” than previous rounds, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch warned on Tuesday.
The minister made the comments during a visit to the police’s southern district, which dealt with five consecutive days of rocket fire on regional cities, towns and villages earlier this month.
While acknowledging the undesirability of being dragged into another round of fighting in Gaza, the minister said that Hamas and other groups are firing rockets into Israel “every day or two days, and the solution to that is to be more aggressive,” according to Israel Radio.
Aharonovitch also addressed plans by pro-Palestinian activists to land at Ben-Gurion Airport next month as part of an “aerial flotilla,” and said that Israel is working with other governments and foreign airlines to identify activists and stop them from boarding planes. Police would not allow any disturbances at the airport, he vowed.
Last year, only a small number of activists managed to circumvent measures put in place by the state. Most of the activists were stopped at their points of origin, or detained at Ben-Gurion Airport and deported.