Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Ata has been in the IDF’s crosshairs for a long time. His assassination was considered over a year ago, and the IDF’s final determination to carry it out was decided – together with Prime Minister and then-defense minister Benjamin Netanyahu – 10 days ago. And while the IDF’s considerations were apparently free of politics, there will likely be political reverberations to the actions taken in the middle of the government-forming period.

“This might take time,” Netanyahu said. “We have to let the IDF do their work.”

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking.