Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Oct 21: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told the Knesset that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had dropped 153 tonnes of bombs on Gaza in retaliation to what he described as a ceasefire violation by Hamas.
Addressing lawmakers during the winter session, Netanyahu said, “One of our hands holds a weapon, the other hand is stretched out for peace. You make peace with the strong, not the weak. Today, Israel is stronger than ever before.”

The Israeli airstrikes came a day after a deadly Hamas attack on IDF troops in Rafah that claimed the lives of two Israeli soldiers. Calling the attack a “blatant violation” of the truce, Netanyahu said Israel struck dozens of targets, including positions of senior Hamas commanders. Hamas, however, denied involvement in the incident.
“We strengthened Israel’s deterrence, we straightened our posture, we brought back our hostages – all the living; some of the slain are still there. We will bring them back too,” Netanyahu said, adding that the campaign “is not over” and vowing to eliminate Hamas’s military and governing infrastructure.
According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, at least 33 Palestinians were killed in the renewed air raids, while the territory’s health ministry said the overall death toll since the conflict began in October 2023 has exceeded 68,000, with thousands still missing.
The fragile ceasefire, brokered in recent months, has faced repeated strain, most recently with the Rafah attack. Meanwhile, Hamas returned two more coffins of Israeli hostages, taking the total to 12.
Israel has kept the Rafah border crossing closed, citing Hamas’s lack of cooperation, leaving thousands unable to travel for medical or humanitarian reasons since May 2024.
Reiterating his stance, Netanyahu warned that the ceasefire “does not give Hamas a license to threaten Israel.” He said, “There is and will be a very heavy price for aggression against us.”
The prime minister also reaffirmed Israel’s “sacred mission” to retrieve all hostages, living and deceased, while maintaining the country’s strength and security.