"We have a very clear policy… We respond forcefully against whoever hurts us," right-wing Netanyahu told reporters at a press conference with visiting Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper on Tuesday.

"This policy produced a quiet year in 2013, which was the quietest in many years. If Hamas and” other “organizations have forgotten this lesson, they will learn it again powerfully very soon."

Over the past month, tensions have risen in and around Gaza after more than a year of relative calm following a major Israeli assault on the besieged strip that killed at least 177 Palestinians in November 2012.

By comparison, Israel has killed nine Palestinians in Gaza over 2013 according to Israeli NGO B'Tselem. Most of those killings were the result of occupation forces opening fire on farmers or other Palestinians near the so-called buffer zone along the Gaza border.

Since December 20, four Palestinians including a three-year-old girl were killed in Gaza by Israeli forces.

Israel says eight rockets fired from Gaza have struck occupied Palestine since January 1, and another five were intercepted by Israel's anti-missile system. But Israel is known to exaggerate the efficacy of its so-called Iron Dome.

Hamas denies firing the rockets, which are sometimes claimed by jihadist groups.

BA/BA