Danon to Guterres: 'We will not wait for … exploding buses'

(JNS) — Israel’s United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon on Thursday morning responded to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for a halt to IDF activity in Judea and Samaria.

“Since Oct. 7, Iran has been working vigorously to introduce into Judea and Samaria sophisticated explosive devices that are intended to detonate in the centers of Israeli cities,” Danon tweeted.

“The State of Israel cannot sit idly by and wait for the spectacle of buses and cafes exploding in city centers. The activity of the IDF forces in Judea and Samaria is intended for the clear purpose of thwarting terrorist attacks and acts before they are carried out under Iranian direction.”

Hours earlier, Guterres had tweeted:

“Latest developments in the occupied West Bank, including Israel’s launch of large-scale military operations, are deeply concerning. I strongly condemn the loss of lives, including of children, and I call for an immediate cessation of these operations.”

Hamas leader abroad Khaled Mashaal on Wednesday called for a return to suicide terror attacks against Israelis in Judea and Samaria.

During a video address to a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Mashaal said, “Resistance operations in the West Bank are escalating despite the harsh conditions,” according to CNN Arabic.

“We want to return to martyrdom operations. This is a situation that can only be addressed by open conflict. They are fighting us with open conflict, and we are confronting them with open conflict,” he added.