Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Hamas and other terror organizations should beware of a harsh Israeli response should they choose to attack.

"If Hamas and the rest of the terror organization have forgotten their lesson they will be reminded very hard very soon," Netanyahu told reporters during a press conference with his visiting Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper.

His remarks come amid an escalation along Israel's border: On Monday, a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip exploded near a school in Ashkelon, while two other rockets were apparently fired from the Sinai Peninsula at the southern Israeli city of Eilat. A day before that, Israel carried out a targeted attack on the Gaza Strip in response to another rocket attack the night before.

Both "Canada and Israel want to see a Middle East that is more secure and more free," Netanyahu said, standing beside Harper.

Harper, a strong Netanyahu ally, reiterated his optimism of the viability of peace in Middle East: "I remain convinced there is a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that peace can be achieved," he said.

In his address to Knesset the day before, Harper told lawmakers that Canada "supports Israel fundamentally because it is right to do so," but also fully backed the creation of a Palestinian state. "Just as we support Israel we support peace for the Palestinians," Harper told the MKs, later adding: "I believe that a Palestinian state will come when the people will realize that peace is the way."

Harper refused to answer any questions regarding West Bank settlements, telling reporters, "Our position is available publicly. You can find it I raised the issue of settlements privately. I am not here to single out Israel for criticism."

On the eve of Harper's visit to Israel, the Foreign Ministry in Ottawa issued an updated policy paper on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although many on the right believe the Harper government to be a full-fledged supporter of Israeli policy on the Palestinian issue, the policy paper states that Canada believes the settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace. Harper has refused to elaborate on this position during his trip this week.

This is Harper's first visit since his election in 2006 and he is the first Canadian prime minister to address the Knesset. He will also receive an honorary degree from Tel Aviv University.

Open gallery view Palestinian high-school students graduating from a Hamas-run military training program, Gaza city, January 14, 2014. Credit: AP