(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Saturday, 23 August 2014), spoke with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and told him that Hamas had again violated a ceasefire this week and said that it was responsible for the escalation. He pointed out that this was the eleventh time that Hamas had violated a ceasefire and noted that it was Hamas which had violated all of the ceasefires while Israel had honored them.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Hamas was committing a double war crime by hiding behind the residents of Gaza while firing at Israel in order to carry out a large-scale slaughter of Israeli civilians. He added that it was in this manner that Hamas murdered a four-year-old Israeli boy yesterday.

The Prime Minister said that in contrast Israel does not intentionally attack civilians and expresses regret when this happens inadvertently. He added that Israel has allowed the entry of food and humanitarian equipment for the residents of Gaza even as Hamas has shelled the crossing through which goods are delivered.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that yesterday the world saw that Hamas is like ISIS, which carries out mass executions, and noted that Hamas is like ISIS in that it persecutes and oppresses minorities. He pointed out that the charters of both organizations call for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and that both organizations use the same murderous methods. Therefore, the Prime Minister asserted, Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas.