(Israel Hayom via JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday, Feb. 5, that if Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip continue to launch rockets and airborne incendiary devices against Israel, he will order an extensive military operation in the Palestinian enclave before the March 2 general elections. Netanyahu’s remarks were made during a meeting with the heads of the Israeli communities near the Gaza border, which came at their request after a week of steadily increasing attacks from Gaza, according to Channel 13 News. In a particularly alarming incident on Wednesday, balloons carrying an explosive device were intercepted over a kindergarten in the Kiryat Gat area.

Responding to the increased tensions, the Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday that it was reducing the size of Gaza’s fishing zone from 15 to 6 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, and Israeli warplanes struck Hamas targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire towards Israeli communities the previous night.