Israel Spokeswoman Tal Heinrich to Newsmax: 'Don't Try Us, Don't Test Us'

Israel is sending a stern message to the world and the Middle East in its operation to dismantle the Hamas terrorist group, according to government spokeswoman Tal Heinrich on Newsmax.

"Don't try us, don't test us, because we will react decisively," Heinrich told Saturday's "America Right Now."

This is not a war Israel sought, but it is one that Israel will finish, Heinrich told Tom Basile, adding the message to the Hamas terrorist group and any anti-Israel sentiment around the would is they effectively messed around and will find out.

"The Oct. 7 massacre is what's dragged us into this war that we didn't start, we didn't want," she said. "We weren't even expecting this war, but we had to launch a counter offensive because we're not looking for short-term fix here. We need to solve this problem.

"Hamas can be no longer."

And to the anti-Zionist and antisemitic voices and protesters in the world, Heinrich warned you do not understand Israel's existential threats that persist, making the Gaza incursion a necessary mission.

"Israelis have been living under impossible conditions," she continued. "Over 8,000 rockets have been fired in 22 days of war, so there's ongoing of fighting also within Israel territory.

"It's disheartening, it's outrageous that there are people out there casting doubt about the magnitude of and the brutality of these atrocities that Hamas has carried out."

Israel has shown videos and photos of Hamas terrorist acts on Israelis, including to the United Nations, because the wrong message is being shared around the world about Israel's actions on Gaza.

"It's important that people understand that they turned people into ashes and chopped body parts of families before they shot them, fired indiscriminately inside of a pit of partygoers who were trying to defend themselves," she said. "It is very important that the world understand what happened here with Israel is dealing with."

The Israeli ground incursion began in earnest Friday night into Saturday and is entering a "new phase."

"You can call this Stage 2 or Stage 1.5 of the operation to dismantle Hamas," Heinrich said. "We said that the stage was coming and the IDF is operating with the goal of bringing their regime — their murderous terrorist regime — down, and we were doing what we said we will do.

"We are trying to maximize the pressure on Hamas to bring to their dismantlement or surrender — all while trying to do our best to minimize civilian casualties."

Innocent civilians in Gaza long had advance notice, she stressed.

"As you know, we called on the residents of northern Gaza to evacuate and we know what we're doing," she said. "We're acting very judiciously in a surgical way there."

The conflict is the fifth and deadliest in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew troops and settlers from the Palestinian territory in 2005.

"We've entered a new phase in the war," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video on Saturday.

"Last night, the ground in Gaza shook. We attacked above the ground and below the ground. We attacked terror operatives of all ranks in every location."

Hundreds of Hamas fighters crossed the Israeli border in vehicles, by air and sea Oct. 7, indiscriminately killing civilians in the streets, in their homes and at an outdoor rave party.

The unprecedented attack caught Israel off guard and exposed serious intelligence failings.

"The army entered the Gaza Strip and extended its operations" with tanks and artillery, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Saturday.

Israeli fighter jets hit 150 "terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure" and "several Hamas terrorists were killed", the army said.

Information from Agence France-Presse was used in this report.

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