(JNS) Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday that Ramadan must not be a “period marked by terror,” according to an official statement.

In a telephone conversation, Gantz thanked Abbas for condemning the deadly March 29 terror attack in Bnei Brak, and wished Abbas and the Palestinian people a “blessed month.” However, he emphasized that Ramadan “must be a month of peace and quiet and not a period marked by terror.”

He told Abbas that Israel would continue to take all measures necessary to prevent attacks and defend its citizens.

Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Ghasan Alyan, the head of the Unit for Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, was also on the call, according to the statement.