Israel declared Sunday that the militant Islamic group Hamas and its leaders are the main target of its war on terrorism.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said efforts will continue to hunt down all those involved in terror, and in particular, Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement.
Mr. Mofaz made his comments Sunday, one day after a founding member of Hamas and three others were killed in an Israeli missile strike in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas leaders have vowed to launch attacks on Israeli political leaders to avenge the death of Ibrahim al-Maqadma, the most senior member of the organization to be killed in 29 months of fighting.
Mr. Mofaz said Israel would continue its operations against Hamas, despite such threats. He described Mr. al-Maqadma as an arch-terrorist, and said the security establishment would target all Palestinians who helped to carry out, plan and orchestrate attacks against Israelis.
Mr. Mofaz said none of the leaders of Palestinian organizations involved in terror, especially Hamas should consider themselves safe.
Israel began stepping up its war on Hamas in mid-February, after the group claimed responsibility for blowing up an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip, killing four soldiers.
Israel holds Hamas responsible for the suicide bombing on a bus in Haifa that killed 16 people, including one American.
Last week, Israeli forces captured another of the founders of Hamas, Mohammed Taha, and his son, who is a leader of the organization's military wing.
But despite such efforts, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip continue to fire homemade Kassam rockets into Israel.
Four more Kassam rockets landed Sunday near Sderot, a town in Israel close to Gaza. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
