Bennett threatens Hamas in West Bank with 'ticket to hell'

Economy minister says Israel's stance against Hamas members in West Bank "has completely changed" following abduction of teens.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Naftali Bennett. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Naftali Bennett.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett threatened members of Hamas on Tuesday morning as the IDF continued operations in the West Bank against the Islamic terror organization that has been accused of the kidnapping of three Israeli youths last Thursday.
"We're turning the membership card for Hamas into a ticket to hell," he told Army Radio.
Security forces have so far arrested some 200 Hamas members in the West Bank during searches for Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrach and Naphtali Fraenkel who went missing late Thursday from a hitchhiking point in Gush Etzion.
Bennett told the radio station that Israel's position against Hamas in the West Bank "has completely changed" following the abduction.
"We're making it so that Hamas members will become a nuisance for the Palestinian populations," he charged.
The Bayit Yehudi leader has expressed harsh warnings against the perpetrators and anyone involved in the abduction since the three yeshiva students were kidnapped.
On Monday, he warned the terrorists involved in the kidnapping that if they harm the teens, Israel will chase them down.  
"I say to the terrorists, if one hair on the heads of the three children is damaged, we will chase any person who was involved in the planning, aiding, or execution of this kidnapping, whether he was involved directly or indirectly," he said.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.